12 September 2006
Why the Great Wall Matters
I have been prompted - some might say cajoled - into elaborating on why the Great Wall of China, one of the few man made objects visible from the moon, is so "great". As a form of defense it was surely lacking as both the Mongols and the Manchus breached its defenses, conquering the Middle Kingdom, establishing its own dynastic rule in the process. This was over a period of almost two thousand years so perhaps I am being a bit judgemental.
Further, undertaking such construction would have surely taken thousands upon thousands of workers, likely coerced by a king who flaunted his "mandate of heaven" like a cold blooded gangsta. Of course the same could be said about the Pyramids, Machu Pichu and Angkor Wat. That was then, this is now, and emancipating the slaves of today is more important than fretting over slaves of yesteryear.
On a purely aesthetic level, the "Long Wall of Ten Thousand Li", as it is known in Chinese, is stunning due to the rugged and bucolic terrain that it cuts across from east to west. The wall almost seems like an unnecessary defense considering the landscape. Undulating over the hills, our 8 km hike along the wall took us almost 5 hours to complete, stopping for the occasional snack and the frequent photo session.
I know that I risk trumping my own self importance too much by saying this (and so I hope that by acknowledging such self awareness I can mitigate it to some extent), but from Angkor Wat to Machu Pichu, the temples of Kyoto to the canals of Venice, the Great Wall of China is something that can compete of every level. As far as man-made structures go: this is the epitome of the Chinese civilization. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
I have said - for now - all that I need to say about China, from a tourist perspective at least...
Further, undertaking such construction would have surely taken thousands upon thousands of workers, likely coerced by a king who flaunted his "mandate of heaven" like a cold blooded gangsta. Of course the same could be said about the Pyramids, Machu Pichu and Angkor Wat. That was then, this is now, and emancipating the slaves of today is more important than fretting over slaves of yesteryear.
On a purely aesthetic level, the "Long Wall of Ten Thousand Li", as it is known in Chinese, is stunning due to the rugged and bucolic terrain that it cuts across from east to west. The wall almost seems like an unnecessary defense considering the landscape. Undulating over the hills, our 8 km hike along the wall took us almost 5 hours to complete, stopping for the occasional snack and the frequent photo session.
I know that I risk trumping my own self importance too much by saying this (and so I hope that by acknowledging such self awareness I can mitigate it to some extent), but from Angkor Wat to Machu Pichu, the temples of Kyoto to the canals of Venice, the Great Wall of China is something that can compete of every level. As far as man-made structures go: this is the epitome of the Chinese civilization. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
I have said - for now - all that I need to say about China, from a tourist perspective at least...
