-- history continued --

Wall of Han dynasty

The fall of the Qin dynasty was followed by the founding of the Western Han dynasty in 206 B.C. It was not until the reign of Emperor Wu (140-87 B.C.) that the Han court, after having kept to a policy of economic recuperation for several decades, launched powerful counterattacks against the Xiongnu and drove them north of the Great Desert in Mongolia. Then the court started a major renovation of the Qin wall along the Yellow River, extending it to the far west. Passing Jiuquan and Dunhuang in Gansu, the Han Great Wall reached into present-day Xinjiang, then known as part of the "Western Regions." Fortified castles were erected along the wall and troops were stationed there. All through the first century of the Christian era tremendous amounts of manpower were invested in the building of forts and beacon towers in today's Shaanxi, Shanxi and Hebei. Standing five kilometers apart, these installations formed a defence line inside the wall.

With Central Asia under Han control, safe caravan routes -- the legendary Silk Road -- were established, opening China to the commerce and culture of the Western world. Traders from Rome, Antioch, Baghdad and Alexandria trekked eastward to deal in jade, gold, spices, horses, precious gems and of course, silk.

Vibrant market towns soon flourished at these safe and busy gates, where traders from far-flung lands exchanged knowledge and ideas along with their goods. The world was changing, becoming smaller, and the Great Wall was playing a vital role.

Continued...........