The Great Wall of China - Research Paper Example

1. The most interesting fact about the Great Wall of China that has emerged from the documentary is its military effectiveness. Despite its majesticpresence and the purpose of its construction, the Great Wall of China throughout its history has proven time and again ineffective for military defense. During the Ming Dynasty as well as Qing Dynasty, the Great Wall has failed its rulers in defending the Forbidden City. 2.The Great Wall of China is one of the wonders of the world because of its engineering marvel in terms of concept, material and construction.

The concept of building a wall that would extend over 6000 kms at the time of 5th century BC was unheard of. The idea of having fort towers intermittently throughout the wall too has been a novel concept in military strategy. But what is most interesting is the idea of a wall that would stretch around the Forbidden City and segregate it from all intruders and elevate its position to the “Heaven” level. At the time of its initial construction, the Wall had been built with stones and tamped dirt but as time passes, the development in construction material which included the use of kilns to manufacture bricks and quarrying have added to its sophistication.

Lastly, one of the most important engineering marvels is the use of least number of manpower to construct over 6000 kms of brick walls of different layers and levels. From deep ravines to some of the highest mountains, the Wall has touched them all. 3.Like any engineering feat, the Wall continues to face obstacles of weathering through wind, water and extreme temperature. 4. Today, the engineering marvel is still acknowledged as there is no structure as big and long that has been tested against time as the Wall of China.5. Compared to structures of today, the Great Wall still stands out because of its quality, architecture and design.

Even though some portions of the Wall have crumbled, its modern equivalents cannot compare to its defensive characteristics and design such as watch towers, barracks, garrison stations, means for signals and trade corridor.ReferenceThe Great Wall of China Documentary