Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
was repaired and rebuilt again and again but not entirely along the same line. The
last and most well preserved one was built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).
Its length is estimated at 12,000
li
, or 6,000 km with its east end actually making a
sheer descent into the Bohai Gulf, symbolizing the dragon's head dipping into the
water. Its west end reaches as far as the north edge of the Tibetan-Qinghai Plateau
where the famous pass Jia Yu Guan was situated on the ancient Silk Road. The most
majestic parts of this Ming Great Wall north of Beijing have become the best van-
tage points where modern visitors enjoy a spectacular glimpse of this massive but
ingenious engineering achievement made by the sheer hands of man.
I do not intend to give you a full picture of the construction of the Great Wall,
which is far beyond my ability. There are quite a number of topics in the West
devoted to the study of the Great Wall. The most comprehensive and readable
English language work is probably that by a colleague, Luo Zhewen and his col-
laborators, Dick Wilson, Jean-Pierre Drege and Hubert Delahaye.
There is one point I would like to emphasize here. This is the tragic human aspect
of the construction of the Great Wall in old China. This tragic nature is fully illus-
trated by the legend of the girl, Meng Jiang, who lived in the reign of Emperor Qin
Shi Huang. Her husband, together with thousands of other peasants, was conscripted
to build the wall but few came home healthy or even alive. Meng Jiang, being very
anxious to see her husband, trudged hundreds of
li
northward to the foot of the Great
Wall, only to fi nd white skeletons piled at the foot of the wall. Her wailing and lam-
entations shook the heavens, and the newly built wall crumbled.
2
The legend of
Meng Jiang comes down via one of the classical works of ancient China. There may
have been no real Meng Jiang. However, there were indeed thousands of young
women having the same fate as Meng Jiang. She has touched deeply the hearts of
later generations with her pure and sincere love. Even more important, the symbol-
ism of Meng Jiang's spirit of opposition against persecution has always inspired
people under oppression.
As we look back in Chinese history, there has been no need for a long time to
rebuild the Great Wall to protect the central part of China. Now, with the birth of
New China, under the guidance of the socialist principle that the different nationali-
ties both within and beyond the Great Wall together with those in other parts of
China are united as one big family, the old dream of “all men are brothers” has
begun to be realized. As the Chinese proverb goes, the march of history has “turned
arms into silk and gold”. It has likewise changed the former battlefi eld along the
Great Wall into the good earth of the new epoch.
The Great Wall itself, constructed with the sweat and blood, toil and effort of
innumerable peasants, has been transformed into a monument symbolizing the
renaissance of an ancient civilization. Due to this transformation, in recent years the
work of restoring and repairing the Great Wall at key points has been started with
the enthusiastic support and generous contributions of many Chinese people as well
as friends in foreign lands.
2
There is another version of the legend saying that a section of the wall crumbled, exposing to
Meng Jiang the bones of her husband.
