Great Wall of China

Great Wall of China
by: Jeff Anderson

The Great Wall of China as some believed originated as a military fortification against intrusion by tribes on the borders during the earlier Zhou Dynasty. In 770-BC-476BC, the ducal states extended the defense work, and built large structures to prevent the attacks from other states. The Great Wall of China was eventually separated during the Qin Dynasty, which preceded the Zhou Dynasty. The Zhao, Qin, and Yan kingdoms were connected to form a defensive system on the northern border of the country of Emperor, Qin Shi Huang. In 214 BC the building of the Great Wall of China was on its way. The Great Wall of China took as long as ten years to build.

The Great Wall of China took hundreds of thousands of laborers working daily beyond human limitations to construct and build. Many persons that did not work were thrown into the foundation trenches starving from hunger and exposure of the earths changing weathers. The Great Wall of China was then called The Longest Cemetery on Earth. Buried beneath its structure were more than 400,000 persons.

The Great Wall was stretched from Linzhao (eastern part of Gansu Province), in the west to Liaodong (Jilin Province) in the east. The Great Wall of China served as both a defense and symbolized the power of the emperor. The Great Wall of China was partly successful in repelling invading Mongol forces more than a century ago.

The Great Wall of China has more than 300 million trees, and its purpose was to serve as a barrier from the dust storms that swept into China from the Gobi Desert and other low-rainfall areas. The Great Wall of China was dubbed This Great Green Wall. During the 50's, the city of Beijing was beset by 10 to 20 dust storms every spring. Visibility was only half a mile for 30 to 90 hours each month. By the 1970's the storms had reduced resulting in greater visibility at less than ten hours per month. The reduction made work easier for the many laborers.

The Great Wall of China towered China's mountains, plunging to the lower valleys, and marching across burning desert plains. Very cold winds coupled with snowstorms, made it very difficult for workers. At the same time raging desert sun and stinging sandstorms oppressed the workers, making their jobs difficult, and often risky.

Today the Great Wall of China is a captivation for tourists around the world.

About The Author

Jeff Anderson knows about China. He knows what to look for and what pitfalls to avoid. Let him guide you to finding out more about China. Contact him at Jeff@culchina.com or visit the blog at his site www.culchina.com.

Visit Hawaii for a change

China can be chilly in the autumn and winter months. China has also done very well for itself in the past few years. I think China's residents deserve a break and enjoy some luxury with a visit to warm, tropical Hawaii. Well to do Chinese can book luxury accommodation at Hawaii luxury accommodations. Currently, there are 350 of them for you to chose from.

Other reasons why Chinese residents should visit is China has connections with Hawaii. Hawaii was populated by 3 waves of arrivals - first the Polynesians, then the Europeans followed by the Chinese who were serving on European trading ships. These Chinese disembarked and settled in Hawaii in 1789. Also, it has been found that 1.92% of Hawaiian residents speak Chinese at home. Hawaii also have active sister state program with People's Republic of China, Guangdong, (1985), People's Republic of China Hainan, (1992), People's Republic of China Tianjin, (2002) and Republic of China Taiwan, (1993). Chinese can also be proud of Hiram Fong, the first Chinese American and Asian American elected United States Senator. Who knows what surprises awaits you in Hawaii. For all you know, you may meet a long lost relative when you visit Hawaii.

If luxury accommodations are not what you are seeking, you can also go for Hawaii hotels (currently 1030 of them for you to chose from), Hawaii Condominiums (1179 to chose from) or Hawaii vacation rentals (620 of them).

Activities you can participate in in Hawaii include enjoying luaus (a traditional Hawaiian freest featuring roast pig), snorkelling and scuba diving to see a superb varieties of tropical fish and reefs, horseback rides, parasailing, volcano bike tours, even submarine rides!

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