Today’s Illustration: A World Without Walls

great-wall-250 Family Walls Work, Too

On This Day: The Great Wall of China declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987.

The last section of the Great Wall of China was built in 1644, during the Ming Dynasty.

“There are 1,007 World Heritage sites. The World Heritage Committee meets from June 28 to July 8 to discuss which nominees to induct this year, from historical sites to natural phenomena.” — dw.com

Facts & Information:

Its purpose was to stop the invasion of China by warring tribes.

It made it near “impossible” to move war materials, horses, and moveable war machines.

“The wall was constructed to protect China from its enemies and the northern invaders most likely the Mongols who were a tribal group that carried out raids in the region. Although the wall was constructed, the region was still conquered by the Mongols eventually. The Great Wall was also used for keeping the Chinese citizens from leaving the country.” — world atlas

It is the longest wall on earth, even though thousands of miles have disappeared.

Approximately 30-40 million people visit it a year.

It crosses seventeen provinces.

The wall is over a 13,000-mile network of walls and natural defenses.

The equatorial diameter of the earth is approximately 8,000 miles. / The equatorial circumference of the earth is 25,000 miles. / NY to CA: approximately 4,000 miles.

Some of the “wall” includes natural barriers such as rivers and mountains.

The most extensive and best preserved section runs for approximately 5,500 miles.

It would take about 18 months to walk the length of it.

Some sections of the wall have completely eroded and/or are in great disrepair.

The wall was made of “rammed earth,” mud, wood, and stone, and bricks.

Approximately 30 feet in height.

Approximately 15 feet wide.

“Rice Paste” was used to bind the bricks together (That is what makes “rice” sticky.).

It was built over a period of 2,000 years, by and through different dynasties.

The last section was built in 1644 – Ming Dynasty.

There are various “passes” which were established by China to permit trade through major trade routes (such as the “Silk Road” to this day. These passes included ramps for the movement of horses and armies.

There are approximately 72,000 “watchtowers” used for signaling and the quartering of troops and materials.

“Watchers on the Wall — The lives of the guards stationed along the wall’s vast length were extremely tough. In 1443 a document from the Ministry of the Army admitted that “soldiers on the northwest border are exposed to wind and cold. Whether they serve as watchmen on the signal towers or guards in the passes… they may be away from their base, family, and children for months or years, and are often lacking for clothing and food. It is true they are paid monthly but they often have to spend their money on weapons or horses. Their suffering from hunger and cold is indescribable.” — national geographic

There are temples of worship also placed throughout its length.

It is NOT one of the seven great wonders of the World.

The classic Seven Great Wonders Of The World are:

Great Pyramid of Giza (This is the only great pyramid which still exists.)
Colossus of Rhodes
Hanging Gardens of Babylon
Lighthouse of Alexandria
Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
Statue of Zeus at Olympia
Temple of Artemis (at Ephesus)

It is estimated that 1 million died building the Great Wall of China.

It cannot be seen from the moon.

David Copperfield: “He is a well-known magician whose notable tricks include making the Statue of Liberty disappear and walking through the Great Wall of China.”

The wall is becoming less and less great, according to Reuter’s news service.

Was the wall effective? Did it work?

“The Great Wall actually succeed in keeping enemies outside China’s borders? The short answer: yes, the Great Wall was successful in keeping semi-nomadic invaders out, which was the primary concern at the time. However, the wall did not stop some large scale invasions, and even the nomadic people were able to breach the wall from time to time. . . . .

Perhaps the most famous instance of the Great Wall “failing” is when the Manchus, quite literally, marched through the Shanhai Pass. This led to the fall of the Ming Dynasty. However, some historians argued that The Great Wall was never truly tested – the Manchu invasion was facilitated by a Ming General [Kong Youde], who decided to switch sides and let the army in. ” — tutorming

Key Illustrative Thoughts:

• raising children
• new walls needed today
• fathers
• cultural invasions
• home life & walls
• social media
• all families set up walls
• breaching the wall
• stop the cultural invasion
• watchtowers
• it stopped the horses and machines
• the family
• worldliness
• Scriptural walls
• ways to protect your family
• opening up a pass / a trade passes
• “never truly tested”
• “letting the army in”
• he “let the army in”
• “switching sides”
• what would a world without walls look like
• families without walls
• wrong and right walls
• to keep out or keep in?

Other Information & Links:

“Rulers during the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) ceaselessly maintained and strengthened the Great Wall to prevent another Mongolian invasion. The majority of the work took place along the old walls built by the Bei Qi and Bei Wei.” — britannica

https://great-wall.weebly.com/impact.html

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2012-06-05/china-s-great-wall-found-to-measure-more-than-20-000-kilometers

https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSPEK274699

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Great-Wall-of-China

https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-china/great-wall-of-china-video