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An essential part that can't be divided from the Great Wall^[1] is the history of China. The Great Wall represents a main part of Chinese history, which has a profound influence on China today. So to speak, the Great Wall, in a sense, is history. And you will see that this tendency is reflected in our content. We generally talk about the Great Wall with dynasties who built it, along with events and social aspects of those dynasties, which may branch out as far as to other topics. In this manner of narration, it can be a little loose and slightly off the point, but we think it is interesting, and it makes sense to put the Great Wall into the Chinese history.

The History of the Great Wall

From 770 B.C. through 476 B.C. was the Spring and Autumn Period of China. During the Period, princes that held land from the Zhou Kingdom made themselves states. Among all the 149 states, the most powerful were the Qi, Jin, Chu, Qin, Lu and Zheng States.

For the wide use of iron tools and farm cattle, the social production of this period progressed greatly. The higher-rank people started to gain private croplands. The land was privatized, and the basic social system of the day, i.e. the Well Field System, began to collapse, which cracked Zhou Kingdom's leadership over its princes and caused among them wars for domination.

To conquer other states, stronger ones made frequent wars upon others. Only a few out of the more than a hundred had finally survived, and were anxious for a new round of war. These states included Qin, Wei, Yan, Zhao, Han, Qi, Chu, also referred to as "the Seven Powers", and others less strong. And the history came to the Warring States Period (B.C. 475 ~ 221).

The social production of this Period continued to grow. The advancing in agriculture and handicraft gave rise to thriving cities acting as marketplaces. The architecture of this time also improved remarkably and made it possible to build solider constructions of better structures in more flexible steps. On the other hand, wars went on unabatedly between the states, some of which at the same time were harassed by minority nationalities from the north. Hence the states built walls around important cities, especially their capitals.

A latest excavation has revealed that the wall-surrounded capital Linzi of the Qi State in the Warring States Period was four kilometers from east to west, and five kilometers from north to south. Palaces to rulers lay inside. Distributed in the city were workshops selling instruments made by way of smelting iron ores, casting bronze, abrading and carving bones and the like. It is recorded in Shi Ji, a great historical literature, that Linzi had over 700,000 families (the unit ancient Chinese used to count population) and was "so crowed with people and vehicles that they could hardly go without brushing each other".

The city Xiadu of the Yan State was eight kilometers from east to west, and four kilometers from north to south. The capital Handan of Zhao was three and four kilometers from east to west and from north to south.

Because walls around cities proved excellent defense, the states wanted to utilize this advantage widely. Hence they built walls on the borders and joined them up with natural barriers like large embankments and steep mountain ridges.

The Wall of the Yan State

The Yan State was developed from a small prince. When the King Yan Zhaowang succeeded to the throne, he sought able people nationwide, collected them at hand and granted outstanding ones important positions. This gradually made Yan a strong state in the north of China.

The Yan State bordered the Qi State on the south, the Zhao State on the west and the Han State on the northeast. On the north the Yan State neighbored small but aggressive minority nationalities mainly Donghu, Linhu and Loufan. They harassed Yan's borders and threatened the security there. To guard against them, in the year 290 B.C., the Yan State built a wall along the Yanshan Mountain Range. The wall started from present Huailai County of Hebei Province, crossed the the Luanhe River, wound on and turned off to the northeast, extended over the Liaohe River and ended in present Liaoyang of Liaoning Province. The whole route ran as long as 1000 li or 500 kilometers. It is the North Wall of the Yan State. It was the last wall built in the Warring States Period.

Yan once succeeded in attacking the Qi State. For fear that the latter would fight back, Yan renovated the embankment of Yishui River and expanded it into a wall. It is known as the Yishui Wall. The Wall consisted of two parts. The first started from present Yixian County of Hebei Province, ran along the Yishui River, passed through Dingxing County and headed to the southeast. The second started from Xushui County of Hebei Province, ran towards the northeast till meeting the first part, then turned off to the southeast and finally arrived at the point about 10 kilometers southeast to Renqiu of Hebei Province.

The Wall of the Zhao State

The Zhao State established Handan as its capital, also the present city Handan of Hebei Province. Zhao neighbored the Wei State on the west, the Yellow River and Zhanghe River on the south, the Qi State on the east separated by the Qinghe River, and the Yan State on the north separated by the Yi'shui River. It also bordered minority nationalities of Hun, Loufan and Linhu on the northwest.

Because troopers of the minorities harassed Zhao frequently, threatening the safety of Zhao so as to have affected its living, Zhao's courageous and insightful King Zhaoyong, also King Zhao Wulin, in the year 366 B.C. led his army personally, and finished the state of Zhongshan. He soon vanquished another two enemies of Hulin and Loufan and forced them to the far north.

By 302 B.C., Zhao's territory had expanded to incorporate the present Tuoketuo and Wulateqianqi of Inner Mongolia, and the Great Bend area of the Yellow River, where immigrants afterward developed the agriculture.

To consolidate its north-border defense, Zhao began building a wall on its north in 300 B.C. The wall started from a point northeast to present Wei County of Hebei Province, ran west and passed through the north of Shanxi, turned off to the northwest and entered Inner Mongolia, hiked along the range of the Yinshan Mountains and went down to the west along the southern foot till present Langshan County of Inner Mongolia.

To defend against the Wei State, Zhao built another wall on the south. As wars between the two states mainly took place on the banks of the Zhangshui River, Zhao extended the north embankment of the River and constructed it into a wall. It is recorded in Shi Ji that "King Zhao Wuling called in State Secretary Louhuan and consulted, 'the previous King saw wars and turns of the sates and thought the best way to resist attacks from the Zhangshui and Fushui Rivers was to develop our south border area. That's why he afterward built a wall along this boundary.'" The "previous King" in the quotation was King Zhao Wuling's father Suhou. Also recorded in Shi Ji is that "Suhou began to build the wall in his 17th year of reign. " So we can infer that this wall was built within Suhou's ruling time. The site of the wall is near now Lizhang and Cixian County of Heibei Province, where the two rivers are still flowing.

Besides the two walls above, Zhao constructed another wall, which started from the point south to present Daixian County of Shanxi, ran southwest to Shanxi, headed on along the north feet of Hengshan and Luya Mountains till meeting the first branch of the Yellow River. This wall was probably the earliest wall Zhao built on its north.

The Wall of the Qi State

The Qi State established Linzi (present Linzi County of Shandong Province) as its capital. Qi was already a large and powerful prince before the Spring and Autumn Period. It neighbored the Chu, Lu and Song States on the south, the Yan State and the Bohai Sea on the north, the Zhao State and the Qinghe River on the west and the Yellow Sea on the east.

King Qi Xuanwang built a wall in its south part. The wall ran more than 500 kilometers from west to east, joining the embankment of Yuanhe River and the north foot of Taishan Mountain. It was referred to as "Great Defense" in some historical literatures.

The Wall of the Wei State

Wei was also a powerful State. After King Wei Wenhou succeeded to the throne, he put Likui, Leyang and great militarist Wuqi into important positions, which gradually made the state flourish. Wei later moved its capital Anyi, i.e. present Anyi County of Shanxi Province, to Daliang, now Kaifeng of Hennan.

Wei neighbored the Chu State on the southeast, taking present the Bianshui River as the boundary, the Song and Qi States on the east bounded by the Huaishui and Yingshui Rivers, the Han State on the south, the Qin State on the west bounded by North Luohe River and the Zhao State on the north.

Wei for years won wars upon the Qi, Chu, Song and Zhao States, but kept being defeated by the Qin State. While Qin took Wei as its serious trouble, Wei feared Qin. So Wei expanded the embankment of the Luoshui River near the west boundary and built it into a fortified wall. It ran more than 500 kilometers from south to north, starting from present Huxian County of Shannxi Province, going up the Luoshui River, passing through Fuxian, Suide, Mizhi County, crossing the Yellow River and finally arriving at present Guyang of Inner Mongolia. It was the West Wall of Wei. It is believed that King Wei Huiwang built this wall.

In a latest investigation over ancient walls, archeologists discovered some sites of the West Wall along a 300-kilometer route. The route started from Huanxian County of Shannxi Province, headed north and crossed the Weihe River, went on along the Luohe River, moved northeast and arrived at the west bank of the Yellow River of Hancheng County. The findings proved historical literatures of the West Wall route that set out from Huaxian County and headed north along the Luoshui River. Besides, a branch wall without mention in any material was discovered halfway on the exploitation. It branched out to the northeast and headed in the direction of Hancheng County.

In the late years of King Wei Huiwang, Wei was declining and kept losing wars to Qin, Chu, Qi and other states. To resist Qi and Qin, Wei built another wall near its capital Daliang. It was the South Wall of Wei. It can be inferred from literatures that this wall started from the place northwest to Old Yuanwu County of Henan Province, ran north and entered present Yuanyang County and then turned off the the southeast, went around to east Kaifeng, and headed westward till Mixian County. The length was about 200 kilometers.

The Wall of the Chu State

The Chu State was relatively slow in agriculture. But it kept a strong army and with it expanded its territory to the banks of the Changjiang River. Chu lay in the central plains of the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River. It bordered the Qi, Song, Wei and Han States on the north, the Qin and Ba States on the west, Bai'e on the south and a vast sea on the east. Its land was the largest among the Seven Powers.

Chu began to fall in the late Warring States Period. It failed several wars to Qin, Han, Wei and other states after King Chu Huiwang had became the new ruler. Chu later expanded the embankments of Mianshui and Bishui Rivers and linked them to mountain ranges and high lands by building walls. The whole line was the Wall of Chu. It is known from literatures that the wall ran more than 400 kilometers from east to west. It started at present Biyang County of He'nan Province, moved north to Ye'xian County, turned to the west and hiked over Lushan Mountain, went on southwest and passed through northeast Neixiang County and finally arrived at present zhushan County of Hebei Province.

Recent years' archeological activities have uncovered a 100-kilometer wall that intersects from east to west Xunyang County of Shannxi Province. Layers of stones make the wall and in some place passageways are still perceptible. Further investigations have proved that it is the Wall of Chu. It could be built for resisting the powerful Qin State.

The Wall of the Qin State

Qin reformed its political system in the year 356 B.C. It is known as Shangyang's Reform. It enacted a new collection of decrees and encouraged the masses to grow plants and join the army. Owning vast fertile lands in present the central Shanxi plain and Sichuan Province, Qin soon surpassed other states in military power. But north nomads Donghu and Loufan frequently crossed the desert and harassed the north part of Qin. To resist their raids, Qin built a wall along its north border. This wall started from Mingxian County of Gansu Province, went northeast to present Longde and Kuyuan County of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, headed north along the Liupanshan Mountain, went on east to Huanxian County of Gansu Province and finally arrived at the bank of the Yellow River of Suide County of Shannxi Province.

The Great Wall of the Qin Dynasty

In 221 B.C., King Qin Shihuang defeated the other States, unified the whole China, and established the Qin Dynasty, also knowns as the First Empire, the first centralized empire in China. A long-time division by feudal lords ended.

The territory of the Qin Dynasty enlarged greatly, with its north border extending to present east Liaoning Province, Yinshan Mountains and the Great Bend of the Yellow River, the east border to the sea, the west to now Qinhai Province and the Gansu Plateau, and South to now Guangdong and Guangxi Province. The Qin Dynasty abolished other characters, laws and metrologies. To eradicate the influence of division left by the warring states, it replaced the enfeoffment with prefectures and counties and torn down the walls and embankments that blocked connections.

Hun, one old minority nationality from the north of China, began to thrive in the late Warring States War Period. When the Yan and Zhao States were falling off, Hun invaded them and bit by bit occupied large patches of land in the Great Bend area of the Yellow River. Hun migrated with seasons and based their agriculture mainly on collecting plants and hunting. This tradition made their troopers fast, depending on which the Huns looted labors and wealth on Qin's border. Hun damaged farming work and setting the north border of the Qin Dynasty unrest.

To solve the border trouble, Qin Shihuang appointed General Meng Tian for garrisoning troops on the north. In 215 B.C., Meng Tian led an army numbered 3,000,000 and assaulted Hun successfully. The battle returned present the south area of the Great Bend of the Yellow River of Southwest of Mongolia Province. Moreover, he swept crossed the Yellow River and took up present Linhe County, the Yinshan Mountains and the area north to the Wujiahe River, and set in these places 44 counties. The war forced Hun out of the Wall of Zhao and eliminated its threat over the Qin Dynasty.

Qin Shihuang later found that the walls of the Yan, Zhao and ex-Qin States were disconnected from each other and could hardly stop enemies from breaking in again. So in the year 215 B.C., he ordered to link up these three walls. The weather-beaten parts were also reconstructed and new parts were added in some places. The labors for this construction numbered 2,000,000, made up of the army under the command of Meng Tian, confiscated labors, captives of war and the guilty people against laws of that time. The whole construction lasted for 10 years.

The finished wall extended further at the north end as the territory of the Qin Dynasty in the north had expanded. The wall started at Lintao, i.e. Minxian County now, went eastward to now Guyuan of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, met the Wall of the Zhao State that ran eastward from Gaoque of the Great Bend of the Yellow River, went on and crossed the Yellow River, entered now north Shanxi and Hebei Province, ran the rest part of the Wall of the Zhao State and headed on along the north branch of Yanshan Mountain, passed by way of the five counties of Shangu, Yuyang, Right Beiping, West Liao and East Liao, and finally arrived at Jieshishan Mountain near the Datongjiang River of Pyongyang, Korea. This wall was longer than and lay slightly north to the Great Wall we see today, which was built by the Ming Dynasty about 1,500 years after.

Since the Liberation of China, the Chinese government has launched several investigations on the Great Wall of the Qin Dynasty along the route that passed by Minxian County of Gansu Province, Langyashan Couty, Yanshan Mountain, Chifeng of Hebei Province till entering into Jilin Province. The relics of the wall can still be seen scattered along the route. Some parts relatively well preserved are about five or six meters high, made of blocks of mud or stone of the local resources.

NOTES: 1) Three Great Walls: Many people know about the Great Wall. But maybe fewer know that there are actually three such Great Walls, the longest built during the Han Dynasty (206 B.C. ~ A.D. 220), following the Qin Dynasty, exceeding even 20,000 li. The Great Walls of the Han and Qin Dynasties still have remains, but most of them no longer exist. The Wall we see today was largely built during the Ming Dynasty (1368 ~ 1644). It stretches over 12,000 li from Jiumenkou near the Yalujiang River in the east, to Jiayuguan Pass in the west. By the Great Wall, people now usually mean the Great Wall of the Ming Dynasty. But in a broad sense, the term indicates one of the three Walls above.

In Chinese history, more than twenty states and dynasties built their own walls. Counted together, they come to a formidable length of 100,000 li (50,000 kilometers).

The Great Wall stretches over approximately 6,500 km (4,000 miles) from Shanhaiguan in the east to Lop Nur in the west, along an arc that roughly delineates the southern edge of Inner Mongolia, but stretches to over 6,700 km (4,160 miles) in total. At its peak, the Ming Wall was guarded by more than one million men. It has been estimated that somewhere in the range of 2 to 3 million Chinese died as part of the centuries-long project of building the wall.