Great Wall of China

Examples of Great Wall of China in the following topics:

• Architecture of the Qin Dynasty

  • Qin architecture is characterized by defensive structures and elements that conveyed authority and power, as exemplified by the early beginnings of the Great Wall.
  • The Qin Dynasty was the first imperial dynasty of China, lasting from 221 to 206 BCE.
  • This allowed for the construction of ambitious projects, such as a wall on the northern border, now known as the Great Wall of China.
  • The result was the initial construction of what later became the Great Wall of China, which was built by joining and strengthening the walls made by the feudal lords.
  • The initial construction of what would become the Great Wall of China began under Qin Shihuang during the Qin Dynasty.

• The Qin Dynasty

  • He established elaborate postal and irrigation systems, and built great highways.
  • Finally, Qin Shi Huang began the building of the Great Wall of China, one of the greatest construction feats of all time, to protect the nation against barbarians.
  • The nation's first standing army, possibly consisting of millions, guarded the wall from northern invaders.
  • Sections of the Great Wall of China, from the part known as Jinshanling.
  • Support the argument that the Qin Dynasty, though short-lived, was one of the most important periods of China's Classical Age

• The Qin Dynasty

  • The Qin Dynasty (221-206 BCE), though short-lived, is known for its military strength and its unification of China.
  • The Qin Dynasty was the first imperial dynasty of China, lasting only 15 years from 221 to 206 BCE.
  • This resulted in the first-ever unified China.
  • The Dynasty is also known for many impressive feats in architecture, sculpture, and other art, such as the beginnings of the Great Wall of China, the construction of the Terracotta Army, and the standardization of the writing system.
  • Describe the establishment of the first imperial dynasty of China, and the architecture, literature, weaponry and sculpture it produced.

• The Silk Road

  • The Silk Road was established by China's Han Dynasty, and led to cultural integration across a vast area of Asia.
  • Through southern and western conquests, the Han Dynasty of China (206 BCE-220 CE) made contact with the Indian cultural sphere.
  • The Great Wall of China was expanded to provide extra protection.
  • Control of the Silk Road would shuttle between China and Tibet until 737 CE.
  • China was open to foreign cultures, and its urban areas could be quite cosmopolitan.

• Ceramics in Neolithic China

  • Painted pottery emerged in great numbers during the Neolithic period of the Yangshao and Longshan cultures.
  • Ceramics began in China around 6,000 years ago during the New Stone Age, of which the advent was marked by the invention of pottery.
  • The Yangshao culture crafted a great deal of pottery.
  • This type of thin-walled and polished black pottery has also been discovered in the Yangzi River valley and as far as the southeastern coast of modern China.
  • It is a clear indication that Neolithic agricultural sub-groups of the greater Longshan culture had spread out across the ancient boundaries of China.

• Architecture of Great Zimbabwe

  • One of its most prominent features of Great Zimbabwe was its walls, some of which reached five to 11 meters high and extended approximately 820 feet.
  • The Great Enclosure is composed of an inner wall, encircling a series of structures, and a younger outer wall.
  • Some of the artifacts, such as ceramics and glass vessels, appear to have come from Arabia, India, and even China, suggesting that Great Zimbabwe was a major trade center.
  • Ruins of the foundations demonstrate the same level of skill seen in the more intact walls elsewhere in Great Zimbabwe.
  • Great Zimbabwe is most famous for its enormous walls, built without mortar.

• Art of the Middle Kingdom

  • The art of China—"The Middle Kingdom"—has arguably the oldest continuous tradition in the world.
  • Much of what is known of early Chinese figure painting comes from burial sites, where paintings were preserved on silk banners, lacquered objects, and tomb walls.
  • The time from the Five Dynasties period to the Northern Song period (907–1128 CE) is known as the "Great age of Chinese landscape".
  • A wide range of valuable materials were worked and decorated with great skill for a range of uses or displays.
  • Li Cheng was among the great landscape painters from northern China.

• Calligraphy during the Six Dynasties Period

  • The calligraphic tradition of East Asia originated and developed in China, and Chinese calligraphy is a widely practiced form of calligraphy revered in the Sinosphere (which often includes China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam).
  • In ancient China, painting and calligraphy were the most highly appreciated arts in court circles; they were done almost exclusively by amateurs, aristocrats, and scholar-officials who had the leisure to perfect the technique and sensibility necessary for great brushwork.
  • Original writings by famous calligraphers have been greatly valued throughout China's history; they are mounted on scrolls and hung on walls in the same way paintings are.
  • In ancient China, painting and calligraphy were the most highly appreciated arts in court circles; they were done almost exclusively by amateurs, aristocrats, and scholar-officials who had the leisure to perfect the technique and sensibility necessary for great brushwork.
  • Describe the evolution of Chinese calligraphy from ancient China to the Six Dynasties.

• Modern Chinese Painting

  • Among the most celebrated modern painters is Qi Baishi, who began life as a poor peasant and became a great master.
  • By the early years of the People's Republic of China (formed in 1949), however, artists were encouraged to employ socialist realism.
  • The Hundred Flowers Campaign was a period in the People's Republic of China during which the Communist Party of China encouraged its citizens to openly express their opinions of the communist regime.
  • The Cultural Revolution was a sociopolitical movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 until 1976.
  • A wall scroll painted by Ma Lin on or before 1246.

• Architecture of the Han Dynasty

  • Remains of Han Dynasty architecture include ruins of brick and rammed earth walls, rammed earth platforms, and funerary stone pillar-gates.
  • Sections of the Han-era rammed earth Great Wall still exist in Gansu province, along with the Han frontier ruins of thirty beacon towers and two fortified castles with crenellations.
  • However, due to the rapid decay over time of wood and its susceptibility to fire, the oldest wooden buildings found in China (which include several temple halls of Mount Wutai) date no earlier than the Tang Dynasty (618–907 CE).
  • Han walls of frontier towns and forts in Inner Mongolia were typically constructed with stamped clay bricks instead of rammed earth.
  • Even models of single-story farmhouses show a great amount of detail, including tiled roofs and courtyards.