Visiting the Great Wall of China: my #1 visit to one of the 7 wonders of the world!
Reading an article about my friend and brother 
The Great Wall of China (traditional Chinese: 萬里長城; simplified Chinese: 万里长城; pinyin: Wànlǐ Chángchéng, literally "ten thousand li wall") is famous for being the largest structure representing China.
Hassan would pronounce it as Great Wall in English, but I pronounce it as 萬里長城(;mal li jang sung)!
Today, the Chinese boast that the Great Wall is the greatest structure ever built by China, but in reality it is a symbol of Chinese weakness and shame, tragedy.
The history of the Great Wall of China began when fortifications built by various states during the Spring and Autumn (771–476 BC)[1] and Warring States periods (475–221 BC) were connected by the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, to protect his newly founded Qin dynasty (221–206 BC) against incursions by nomads from Inner Asia. The walls were built of rammed earth, constructed using forced labour, and by 212 BC ran from Gansu to the coast of southern Manchuria.
Later dynasties adopted different policies towards northern frontier defense. The Han (202 BC – 220 AD), the Northern Qi (550–574), the Jurchen-ruled Jin (1115-1234), and particularly the Ming (1369–1644) were among those that rebuilt, re-manned, and expanded the Walls, although they rarely followed Qin's routes. The Han extended the fortifications furthest to the west, the Qi built about 1,600 kilometres (990 mi) of new walls, while the Sui mobilised over a million men in their wall-building efforts. Conversely, the Tang (618–907), the Song (960–1279), the Yuan (1271–1368), and the Qing (1636–1912) mostly did not build frontier walls, instead opting for other solutions to the Inner Asian threat like military campaigning and diplomacy.
Although a useful deterrent against raids, at several points throughout its history the Great Wall failed to stop enemies, including in 1644 when the Qing troops marched through the gates of the Shanhai Pass and replaced the most ardent of the wall-building dynasties, the Ming, as rulers of China proper.
The Great Wall of China visible today largely dates from the Ming dynasty, as they rebuilt much of the wall in stone and brick, often extending its line through challenging terrain.[2] Some sections remain in relatively good condition or have been renovated, while others have been damaged or destroyed for ideological reasons,[3] deconstructed for their building materials,[3] or lost due to the ravages of time.[4] For long an object of fascination for foreigners, the wall is now a revered national symbol and a popular tourist destination.[5]
My friend Hassan, if you look at the history of the Great Wall, you will find that the Chinese were very afraid of the invasion of nomads from the north.
The Chinese have lived for 1,000 years consuming enormous costs and labor to expand and repair the Great Wall.
Millions of Chinese lost their lives to build and repair the Great Wall.
So, many Chinese people left many poems and literary works resentful of the Great Wall.
Lady Meng Jiang or Meng Jiang Nü (Chinese: 孟姜女; pinyin: Mèng Jiāng Nǚ) is a Chinese tale with many variations. Later versions are set in the Qin dynasty, when Lady Meng Jiang's husband was pressed into service by imperial officials and sent as corvee labor to build the Great Wall of China. Lady Meng Jiang heard nothing after his departure, so she set out to bring him winter clothes. Unfortunately, by the time she reached the Great Wall, her husband had already died. Hearing the bad news, she wept so bitterly that a part of the Great Wall collapsed, revealing his bones.
The story is now counted as one of China's Four Great Folktales, the others being the Legend of the White Snake (Baishezhuan), Butterfly Lovers, and The Cowherd and the Weaving Maid (Niulang Zhinü).[1] Chinese folklorists in the early 20th century discovered that the legend existed in many forms and genres and evolved over the last 2,000 years.[2]
The section of the Great Wall that was toppled in the legend is the Great Wall of Qi in today's Shandong Province. The Temple of Lady Meng Jiang, whose origins are sometimes dated to the Song dynasty, was constructed or reconstructed in 1594, during the Ming dynasty, at the eastern beginning of the Ming Great Wall in Qinhuangdao of Hebei Province. It is still in existence.[3]
Originally "Meng" was not her family name. "Meng Jiang" would have been a very common one for women in the state of Qi, as "Jiang" was the surname of the Qi ruler and much of its nobility, and "Meng" meant "eldest child" not born to the main wife.[4]
In 2006, the legend of Meng Jiang was included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage list by the State Council.
In particular, the legend of Lady Meng Jiang or Meng Jiang Nü (Chinese: 孟姜女; pinyin: Mèng Jiāng Nǚ) is one of the most famous works in East Asia.
Lady Meng Jiang or Meng Jiang Nü (Chinese: 孟姜女; pinyin: Mèng Jiāng Nǚ) cried out loud as her husband lost his life on the Great Wall's construction site, and her cries caused the Great Wall to collapse.
Perhaps my friend Hassan doesn't believe in the legend that the Great Wall collapsed because of her cries.
However, in the past, parts of the Great Wall of the Shandong Peninsula have actually collapsed.
Her legend symbolizes the tragedy of countless women who lost their children and husbands to the Great Wall.
I believe there are probably similar tragic women's legends in Indian civilization!
Perhaps Hassan will tell me about the legends of an Indian woman similar to Lady Meng Jiang or Meng Jiang Nü (Chinese: 孟姜女; pinyin: Mèng Jiāng Nǚ)! 😄
ps: To appreciate the fact that my friend Hassan writes about cryptocurrencies, blockchain and Sprinterlands, I wrote an article about one of the most famous Chinese legends related to the Great Wall.
I hope he enjoys reading it!😄