No other fence in the history of mankind matches the scale, ambition, and drama surrounding the construction of the Great Wall of China. This monumental structure, often called the Eighth Wonder of the World, is not only the longest fence ever built but also a testament to human determination, engineering ingenuity, and the enormous social costs of ambitious architectural projects.
Origins and purpose of construction
The Great Wall of China was not built as a single, coherent construction project. Its history dates back to the 7th century BCE, when various Chinese states began erecting local defensive fortifications. These early walls were intended to protect farmland from raids by nomadic tribes from the north, particularly the Mongols and other steppe warriors.
The true story of the Great Wall as a unified structure began in 221 BCE, when Emperor Qin Shi Huang unified China. The new ruler ordered the connection and expansion of existing defensive walls into one continuous fortification system. The aim was to create an impenetrable barrier between “civilized” China and the “barbarian” steppe tribes.
Scale of the enterprise
The length of the Great Wall has been the subject of ongoing research and debate. According to the latest measurements by Chinese authorities in 2012, the total length of all wall sections (including branches, auxiliary walls, and fortifications) is 21,196 kilometers. That’s a distance equal to half the circumference of the Earth!
The main continuous defensive line is about 8,850 kilometers long, stretching from Shanhaiguan Pass on the Yellow Sea in the east to Jiayuguan Fortress in Gansu Province in the west. To grasp this scale — it’s comparable to traveling from Lisbon to Vladivostok.
Construction time and phases
Building the Great Wall took over 2,000 years, making it the longest-running construction project in human history. Several main phases can be distinguished:
Warring States Period (7th–3rd century BCE)
Individual Chinese states built local defense systems. The most important builders were the rulers of the states of Chu, Qi, Yan, and Zhao.
Qin Dynasty (221–206 BCE)
Emperor Qin Shi Huang initiated the great work of connecting and expanding the existing walls. In just 20 years, the first “Great Wall” in today’s sense of the word was created.
Han Dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE)
Construction continued, extending the wall westward by about 10,000 kilometers.
Ming Dynasty (1368–1644 CE)
The last and most important stage of construction. The best-preserved sections admired by tourists today come from this period. The Ming rebuilt most of the wall, using not just tamped earth and stones but also bricks and quarried stone.
Workforce and human costs
Building the Great Wall required the mobilization of enormous human resources. It is estimated that at various times:
- Qin Dynasty: about 1 million workers (that was every tenth inhabitant of China at the time!)
- Ming Dynasty: 200,000 to 1 million people at the same time
In total, over 2,000 years of construction, up to 4 million people may have worked on the wall. This army included:
- Soldiers
- Peasants (often forced into labor)
- Prisoners
- Slaves
The human costs were terrifying. Historians estimate that 400,000 to 1 million people died during construction. Many were buried in the foundations of the wall, earning it the grim nickname “the longest cemetery in the world.”
Materials and construction techniques
The magnitude of the enterprise required innovative technical and logistical solutions:
Building materials
- Rammed earth: earliest sections
- Stone: in mountainous regions
- Bricks: mainly during the Ming Dynasty
- Wood: for auxiliary structures
- Rice: sticky rice mortar was used as a binder!
Construction techniques
Workers used a layering method: tamping earth between wooden frames to create very durable walls. Later, they developed techniques for firing bricks on-site, which greatly accelerated construction.
Defensive effectiveness
Paradoxically, the Great Wall never fully served its main purpose. Nomadic tribes repeatedly crossed it, and the largest invasions — like the Mongol campaigns under Genghis Khan in the 13th century — ended with the conquest of all of China. The Wall was effective against small raiding parties but could not stop large armies.
The Wall’s true value turned out to be:
- Trade control: regulating the flow of goods along the Silk Road
- Communication: a fire signal system allowed messages to be relayed quickly
- A symbol of unity: a manifestation of China’s power and cohesion
Modern significance
Today, the Great Wall of China is:
- A symbol of China: the country’s most recognizable landmark
- A tourist attraction: visited by about 10 million tourists annually
- A UNESCO World Heritage Site: listed in 1987
- A subject of research: archaeologists continue to discover new sections
Myths and facts
Many myths have grown around the Great Wall:
MYTH: The Wall is visible from space with the naked eye
FACT: Astronauts confirm it cannot be seen from orbit without aid.
MYTH: The Wall is one continuous structure
FACT: It is a system of walls with numerous gaps, branches, and parallel defensive lines.
The most ambitious fencing project in human history
The Great Wall of China remains the most ambitious fencing project ever undertaken by humanity. Its construction consumed millions of human years of labor, vast material resources, and lasted longer than most civilizations have existed. Although it did not always fulfill its defensive purpose, it became an immortal symbol of human determination and engineering creativity.
Today, when we look at this monumental work, it is worth remembering not only its architectural beauty but also the dramatic history of its creation and the thousands of anonymous builders who paid for it with their lives. The Great Wall of China is not just the longest fence in history — it is a monument to human ambition in all its complexity.
Tag
fences
