SOURCE3 The Great Wall of China is the world’s largest construction, over 5000 km long with 20 000 watchtowers. It took centuries to build and cost many lives, with the current wall much bigger than the original Qin wall.
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A The height and width of the Great Wall vary along its length. On average, the wall is 7 m high and 5 m wide. B Qin Shihuang began linking existing short walls built by earlier rulers into one continuous wall to protect his empire from attacks from the north. C Throughout successive dynasties, the wall was extended and repaired. Most of the present wall was built between the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries. D The wall was topped by a road wide enough in parts to accommodate marching soldiers, horsemen and chariots. E Soldiers on the watchtowers would signal an attack by lighting a ýre. F Watchtowers were protected by battlements. Soldiers would ýre arrows down on the enemy as they tried to scale the wall.
SkillBuilder discussion Continuity and change
1. What were the main reasons for building the Great Wall of China, and how did it serve its purpose? 2. How did the construction of the Great Wall impact the lives of the workers involved in its building? 3. In what ways did the Great Wall evolve from the original Qin wall to the larger structure we see today?
Qin reforms To strengthen central rule and make China more efýcient, Qin Shihuang introduced many reforms. • Separate states were replaced with central rule and one set of laws. • The calendar and people’s dress were standardised throughout the empire. • A single form of writing, weights, measures and money was used in the empire. This made trade and taxes easier. • His new capital was Xianyang. Highways were built from it to unite the country, and new trading cities were founded. • He ordered that all carts have the same axle width. This helped carts move easier on dirt roads since their wheels could ýt in the same ruts.
TOPIC7 Ancient China 207
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