-- history continued --

Wall of Ming

Like their predecessors, the Ming rulers considered a powerful Great Wall almost the only means of resisting the nomadic invaders. Historians share the opinion that the Great Wall was finally completed under the Ming.

Ming emperors appointed trusted ministers to supervise the wall project. For example, the famous general, Xu Da, was sent to build Juyong Pass, Gubeikou Pass and other strongholds at the very beginning of the dynasty. The Ming wall was basically completed in about 100 years. It covered some 7,300 kilometres, stretching from the Yalu River on the east to Jiayu Pass on the west. The section from the Yalu River to Shanhai Pass, however, which had a length of almost 1,000 kilometres, was built of stone and earth and was not as well constructed as some other sections. Today it has become largely dilapidated or even untraceable. This has given rise to the common misconception that Shanhai Pass is the eastern end of the Great Wall.

For effective defence along the northern frontiers, the Ming authorities divided the entire Great Wall belt into nine zones and placed each under the control of a zhen (garrison headquarters) Two more garrison headquarters were added later.

As the symbol of the Chinese nation and crystallization of the wisdom of ancient Chinese, the Great Wall extends for about 5 thousand kilometers from east to west. Like a gigantic dragon winding across deserts, grasslands and mountains, the great wall draws a stream of adventurers, explorers, sightseers, and those who cherish the past. Although lengthy sections of the wall are now in ruins or have disappeared completely, it is still one of the more remarkable structures on earth. The Great Wall was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1987.