The significance of the Great Wall of China 

Published: October 12,2023

By staff writer 

The Great Wall of China was built as a military defensive line to defend the invasions from some northern nomadic nations. Apart from the function of defense, the wall also boosted the economy, as well as promoted cultural exchange and national integration of different nations at its two sides. 

The total length of the Great Wall of China built in different dynasties is estimated to be 21,196.18 kilometers (13,170.70 miles), announced by China’s State Administration of Cultural Relics in 2012. The length of the Great Wall of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) is 8,851.8 kilometers (5,500.3 miles), and there is about 526 kilometers (327 miles) lying in Beijing.

 In ancient China, the Great Wall of China was used as a military fortification, and the space between the inner and outer walls were filled in for marching and transporting supplies, hence making the Great Wall as wide as 4-5 meters (13-16 feet), which can allow 10 soldiers to walk shoulder by shoulder. The current single-lane motorway is generally 3.5 meters (11.5 feet) wide. Assuming that cars can be driven up there, the Great Wall can accommodate two.

What remains of the Great Wall was mostly built in the Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644). Its average height ranges from 6 to 7 meters (20 to 23 feet) and the tallest part reaches around 14 meters (46 feet). About the altitude, Huanglouyuan Section is located at the highest altitude, about 1,439.3 meters (4,722 feet), while the lowest point is Laolongtou Section, which is just above the sea level.

The Great Wall was not only a simple wall, but also a comprehensive military defensive system which connected the beacon towers, fortresses and strategic passes together. During the battles, the daily supplies including the foods, weapons and horses supported the basic needs of soldiers. The border of the country was quite long and the battle terrain could be very steep, so it could not guarantee that the supplies would be sent to the battlefield in time. However, the Great Wall made this happen, which helped the soldiers to convey the suppliers more easily and conveniently along it. Nevertheless, the enemies didn’t have such advantages.
 

Sending the reinforcement

There were lots of soldiers stationed in each fortress. Once one fortress was attacked, the reinforcement could be sent there from nearby fortresses and strategic passes quickly along the wall. In this case, this defense line was further strengthened to protect the people and territory.

Tourist Attraction for local and International Visitors

Nowadays, its military function ended, and it is the top tourist attraction in China and a symbol of the Chinese nation.  The Great Wall has become a must-see attraction for locals and foreign visitors to China. It zigzags from Jiayuguan Pass in the west to Hushan Mountain in the east. 
Nowadays, its military function ended, and it is the top tourist attraction in China and a symbol of the Chinese nation.  The Great Wall has become a must-see attraction for locals and foreign visitors to China. It zigzags from Jiayuguan Pass in the west to Hushan Mountain in the east. 

Symbol of Chinese Ethos – Unity, Diligence & Braveness

Since the Great Wall of China was built, it has been a symbol of the unity of the Chinese nation. Its harsh, long-lasting and large-scale construction reveals the diligence and braveness of the Chinese nation. This is why it is important to Chinese culture. The Great Wall is mentioned in the Chinese national anthem, and appears on the first and fourth sets of RMB.

Grand scenery

The Great Wall presents diverse scenery in different regions in China. It looks like a giant dragon traveling over hills and dales at most sections, including Badaling, Mutianyu, and Jinshanling in Beijing. At Laolongtou in Qinhuangdao, Hebei, you can see a totally different scene of the wall merging into the sea while at Jiayuguan, Yumenguan, and Yangguan in Gansu, the Great Wall offers a desolate view, standing among vast desert. 

Great Wall’s Importance to Ancient International Trade

The Great Wall also protected traders from the invaders and promoted the import and export trade along the Silk Road. Once the westbound caravans left the Central Plains and entered the Gobi Desert, they were highly vulnerable to attacks by nomadic people. Along the northern Silk Road route, the Great Wall fortresses and beacon towers, protected caravans from nomadic attack.

The Silk Road brought Chinese goods and civilization to Central Asia, West Asia, Central Europe, and Southern Europe and brought back western goods and civilization along the Great Wall, promoting cultural, political, and economic communication and cooperation between China and other countries.
 

Boosting economy and national integration between Han people and nomadic nations

In ancient time, the south of the Great Wall, the Central Plain mainly maintained the progressive agricultural economy, while the north of the Great Wall, nomadic nation primarily developed the animal husbandry economy. In peace time, these two kinds of economy exchanged the daily goods with each other along the Great Wall. The people in the Central Plain sold grain and cloth to the nomadic tribes, while the nomadic tribes exported the horses and animal products like leather and string to the Central Plain along the walls.  Furthermore, it gave the chance to have the cultural exchanges and promote national integration. One example was that when the Tujue army was defeated in the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907), the emperor ordered those capitulated soldiers lived along the Great Wall and appointed some soldiers as the general. Gradually, they admitted and accepted the advanced culture of Han nation.

Protecting the Silk Road

In the Han Dynasty (202 BC – 220 AD), the emperor ordered an emissary to visit Western Regions, which developed the Silk Road. In addition, the emperor also commanded to build the Great Wall along Hexi Corridor, a section of the Silk Road. This action protected the safety of the Silk Road, which promoted the culture, politics and economy exchange between China and other countries as well.

Additional sources from the internet