Benefits of the Great Wall of China

Benefits of the Great Wall of China The Great Wall The text The Great Wall, by John Man, is about the worlds longest man made structure. Ranging from eastern to western China the length of the great wall remains unknown because the wall does not form a single continues line. There are several gaps and its been destroyed and rebuilt during different dynasties. Measurements vary between 2,694 and 6,000 kilometers from the western desert to the sea (Man, 5). The section that was built in the Ming Dynasty is about 25 feet tall and 16 feet wide. In Chinese, the symbol for wall is ambiguous; it can mean both Long City, and Long Walls. Construction of the Great Wall began around 214 BC and it was maintained until the 16th century. The Wall that was built in the Qin Dynasty is the most famous one because it was the first and oldest section that still remains today. The latest or the most current segment was built in the Ming Dynasty. There is much more to it than just a barrier; the wall itself contains fortresses, barracks, guard towers and beacon towers (Man, 5). Though the Great Wall is a national symbol of identity for the Chinese, the reason for its construction is commonly unknown. Most people believe that the wall was built to create protection from the barbarous nomads in northern China who were attacking them, but this was not the case. John Man in The Great Wall argues that the nomad attacks were a justification for the destruction of the tribes. The nomads were not the ones to initiate violence; it was the Chinese that provoked and attacked the nomads for land. The Wall was never the barrier it seemed or was claimed to be because nomads could still easily go over or through it while the Chinese empire ruled and influenced both side of the wall (Man, 8). So it was useless against the Mongols in the north. It was Chinese expansionism that eventually forced the evolution of pastoral nomadism and Chinese expansionism that created the threat (Man, 21). The construction of the wall served mutliple purposes. One, it defined spheres of interest, marking a frontier and confining the unruly nomad populations where they could eventually be turned into workers (Man, 8). Two, it was a way for ambitious leaders to flaunt their power and warn alien threats. The wall was first created when China was divided into three different states: the Zhou in the northern borderlands, the Qin in south and west, and the Yen in north and east. These rulers each built walls for protection from each other and to show that they were serious about ruling (Man, 23). In 221 B.C. Qin Huang conquered and unified all the states and symbolically demolished the inter-state walls. He then extended the remaining wall into the northern frontier for protection from an Xiongnu invasion (Great Wall). The wall eventually became Chinas main civic project, comparable in scope to the pyramids in Egypt, and construction continued until the last dynasty in the 16th century. One of the biggest advantages of the Great Wall was that it created a sense of identity for the Chinese. It portrayed their endurance and their economical and political power. Although it was functionally useless and took hundreds of years to complete, it worked as a symbol of authority and power in the eyes of Chinas opponents and enemies. It also isolated the nomadic tribes that lived in the northern side of the wall, forcing them to participate in barter and trade. One of the advantages of the great wall was this forced increase in commercial and trade. Scholar Jia Yi states, our markets beneath the Great Wall will surely swarm with the Xiongnuà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦When the Xiognu have developed craving for our rice, stew, barbecues and wine, this will have become their fatal weakness. Border Markets Thrived(60). The Wall also helped protect traders and administrators, which encouraged a merchant middle class in the western kingdoms, leading China to be richer than ever. While the empire was split in three different states, it was the nobles who were responsible for organizing a workforce for the construction of the walls. Peasants were forced to work on the wall by their nobles (Man, 23). People suffered from the forced labor it took to build the Great Wall, (Man, 123). It was estimated that during the construction of the wall, from 5th to 16th century, about 2-3 millions Chinese workers lost their lives (Great Wall). They didnt have a formal burial, the workers that died were sealed inside the wall as if they were born to support in weight both in life and in death. The workforce was divided into three different groups: soldiers, criminals, and ordinary people. Millions were called to work on the Wall, leaving their families and loved ones behind; even children had to join the workforce (Labor Force of Great Wall). The wall led to a large numbers of deaths and injuries during the years of its construction. It split up families and widowed many women. Not only did the wall have a negative effect on the citizens of the empire but it also had a negative impact on the nomads that lived on the northern side of the wall. It restricted their area of stay and the resources they had, limiting their amount of space for animals and restricting their travel to alternative trade or lands. This eventually led nomads to unify under the Mongolian Empire. The Mongolian Empire was led by emperor Genghis Khan, who organized raids and attacks on the Chinese Empire. The wall might have been a great authoritative representation, but it had an equally strong negative effect on the communities surrounding it. The wall that was built by the first emperor Qin was not sustainable; it was made of earth rather than stones, causing the wall to vanish over the years. Later dynasties would then rebuild it using earth, wood, or stones. Originally, the earth wall was made from was a mix of mud and local grass straws. The wall in north of Guyuan and in Yinchuan is the oldest original earth section. Later, lacking any efficient form of transportation for the materials, the workers would just adapt local resources. They would use rocks from nearby mountains or rammed earth from the plains. It wasnt until the later dynasties started expanding the walls to Hohhot and Beijing that carved stone began to be formally and universally used. Because of this patchwork of materials, some parts of the wall were made of chunks of flat, slate-like rock and ran along a hillside while others used bricks (Man, 8). During the Ming dynasties the walls were constructed using tiles, lime, and stone, which managed to last longer and be more effective (The Wall). Because the bricks were easier to carry compared to stones and earth, they made it easier for the workers to build the walls (The Wall). The stones were still used for the foundations since they could hold the walls weight better under different conditions. As years passed, people continued to acquire better resources and methods to construct the walls. The time and the location of the structure help determine the reasons behind the creation of the walls. It was built at a time where competition and power among the different states and regions was at its peak, different Emperors wanted to intimidate their respective enemies by showing them that they had the economic and political power necessary for this huge civic project. It was more of a symbol of their power rather than functionally protective as there was no real exterior threat to the dynasties. Even if there was, the nomads had no problem climbing or going through the wall. To them, the wall was not an obstacle. The Great Wall was built at a time where emperors wanted to flaunt their dominance to intimidate any potential enemy attacks. The great wall was am intimidating structure, a series of safe-houses for traders, a hugely extended barracks, a road for the transport of goods-and thus, as the second meaning of the symbol for great wall in Chinese implies, a very long city. Today the great wall is a representation of peace. A Tibetan said The Great Wall is a masterpiece containing the wisdom and diligence of all the peoples and nationalities of China. As the years passed, the wall became more redundant. Today the wall is a representation and symbol of China. The wall is no longer a barrier or a border but a pure symbol of a Chinese heritage. It attracts millions of people from all over the world who come to see the worlds largest structure. Useful in its time, today construction of the wall would create a dispute among United Nations. It would be even less functionally protective as a wall would not stop the intentions of any outside threat with the technology and weapons we have today. The Great Wall by John Man isnt the best literature Ive read, especially for this assignment. The most useful information I received for this assignment was in the introduction. The rest of the book focused more on the broader history of China and its dynasties. Even though it was interesting to learn about the different dynasties, it wasnt really related to our assignment and wasnt engagingly written. I felt like there was too much factual information for a reader to keep focused on the main idea. The author didnt have clear specific information about the wall. It was scattered all over different chapters without a clear organizing structure. It wouldve been better if he included more information on and of the people who built the walls, their lifestyle, and the conditions in which they worked in. He could have also included more information on the lifestyles of nomads and how the wall changed their traditional cultures.

Middle school Essay

0 year i was born on 1998/7/5, in shanghai, china. 9 month i learned how to walk. 3 years old my first day of kindergarten. i cried but i also met a lot of cool kids. i learned to read. 4 years old i started to dance and i love dancing. 7 years old i went to elementary school and i was very exciting. i played violin for one year and then i quit. 9 years old lost my first tooth, i’m scared. 10 years old i got a first C in my life. rode my bicycle. 12 years old I went to a good middle school, and most people are very good at study. i felt i’m so lonely and tired. But after 2 weeks, i made a lot of friends and i love my life in my high school. my feet hurt, my doctor told me that i can’t dance anymore, play any spots or P. E. class. 13 years old i moved to america because i got a bad score in my middle school. my parents think that i can’t get into a good high school in china. most my classmates cried, i cried. i really missed them went i first came to here. but after few days, i adjusted my new life and i like my new school taylor middle school. however, i still miss my family members in shanghai and my friends. i still contact them. i also took a lot of classes after school to improve my english. 14 years old i became a eighth grader, i felt i’m so mature. i learned a lot from this year. i started to play guitar. 15 years old i went to mils high school. i got a good grade. 19 years old i went to UC berkeley. i met my boyfriend. had a good time in UC berkely. 24 years old graduated from UC berkeley, became a good psychologist. 26 years old i got married, have a good life. 27 years old got a lot of money and had my first child. 32 years old got my second child. 70 years old i got stomach cancer. 82 years old i died from gastric cancer, i donated my organs.

Happy Nation

Happy Nation What is happiness? When asked this question, many people would have many different answers. Some may refer to happiness as family, and others may declare money as one of their main reasons for happiness. Indeed, all people are different. However, happy people usually have one thing in common and it is where they live. So, what should a country have, or look like in order to deem itself the happiest? According to New York Times’ reporter Nicholas D. Kristof, Costa Rica is the current â€Å"winner† of the â€Å"World Database of Happiness. This small Central American country has accomplished monumental undertakings to deserve this enormous title. For instance, Costa Rica abolished its army, preserved nature, and made investments in education more profitable than investments in artillery. In fact, Costa Ricans can be proud of their country and fairly deem themselves the happiest nation; however, Americans, for example, can also deem their country as the happi est ones. Moreover, the United States has everything to be at the top of the list of â€Å"happy nations. A rich environment, high level education, enriched family and international relationships would be some of the reasons why American citizens may consider themselves to be the happiest nation in the world. First of all, the United States have a very rich environment to be happy with. The environment of the US consists of sparkling lakes and streams full of fish, making fishing a popular hobby of Americans sportsman. In addition, an abundance of cascading mountains and forests full of deer, wild boars, pheasants, birds and other animals make hunters and naturalists alike happy to be here.In fact, every year more and more people retreat to the mountains and campsites to hunt or vacation and enjoy these natural amenities. To name a few others, skiing, snowboarding and biking are sports that becoming more popular these days. In 2009 for example, according to the National Ski and Sno wboarders Retailers Association, 5. 5 million people participated in the sport in 2009. The United States’ national parks encourage enthusiasts from its natives and tourists from all over the world.In addition, the US has many bodies of water, but the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, on the East and West Coasts of the United States, offer many opportunities. In fact, Americans love sea food and having access to the two largest oceans makes eating fish daily a common occurrence. Moreover, having two oceans spanning two major coast lines provides picturesque sandy beaches for comfortable living and popular vacation spots. From California to Oregon, and Maine to Florida, these beaches and scenic spots draw many to live and vacation here. Besides the lakes, mountains and beaches, the United States has many more wonders of nature.For instance, the Grand Canyon in Arizona, Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, the Arches National Park in Utah as well as Yosemite National Park in Califo rnia all of which draw many visitors. Only Grand Canyon visited 4. 41 million tourists in 2008. In addition, Niagara Falls, sharing its border with Canada is also one of the most widely visited natural attractions among Americans. In other words, the United States has an incredible environment that can easily be deemed the best in the world. The second important reason why Americans can consider themselves a happy nation is education.American education is widely known as the best around of the world. In fact, most notable famous scientists, archaeologists and sportsman graduated from colleges and universities in the United States such as inventor Sicorsky, sportsmen Tiger Woods and a scientist Linus Pauling. Besides that, almost every person who had a chance to graduate from any of the United States’ universities countries became later successful in native country. Indeed, a diploma from an American educational institution is easily accepted in other countries; therefore, the re are not difficulties with finding job .In addition, there is also another extraordinary reason that supports American education opportunities. It is financial aid. Very few counties provide financial aid to low-income students, and American citizens who are offered this opportunity should be very proud of it. Despite the current economic downfall, the United States continues to provide this opportunity allowing students to obtain an education in higher learning. For instance, in 2008 the United States Government provided nearly 91 billion in financial aid to 104 million students.Moreover, according to President Obama the financial aid budget will increase this year and more students will be able to finish their study. Furthermore, the American government creates special programs that allow students from foreign countries to come to the United States on student visas. Those programs are very popular among foreign students because they not only provide a decent opportunity to gain a valued experienc e, but also provide job opportunities after graduation. Briefly, high level education is one of the reasons that support America as a happy nation.Finally, enriched family and international relationships are also good reasons that support the American â€Å"Happy Nation† theory. In fact, family, for almost every American citizen, is the biggest treasure in the world. There is no other place in the world where people send so many greeting cards to loved ones as they do here in the United States. For example, in the Ukraine cards are sent for happy events such as, birthdays, weddings or holidays, however it would be interpreted as a personal offense to receive a sympathy card when someone dies.It is even impossible to find such kind cards in the Ukraine because they simply are not for sale! Therefore, Americans have to be proud of having such a nicely-shared tradition. Another practiced tradition that may deem as â€Å"American only† is the Thanksgivin g holiday. In fact, this favorite United States’ holiday is unfamiliar to other countries. Indeed, there is no other place in the world where people, once a year – no matter what, spend many hours flying or driving to spend this holiday with their loved ones enjoying family traditions.Besides the family relationships, Americans have excellent international relationships. Around the world the United States is known as a strong, wealthy and successful county. Moreover, during international conflicts the United States’ opinion often plays an important role in the negotiating process. In fact, in 2002 the United States of America solved Arab-Israeli Conflict between Palestine and Israel. Indeed, America is looked upon for its strength. Besides good negotiation skills America is known as a very welcomed and peaceful country.Throughout time thousands of people from hundreds of countries, despite their race or religion, settled and made their homes in the United States . In other words, a country where discrimination does not exist and holiday traditions are practiced from generation to generation can easily be deemed a joyful place in the world. The United States has everything it needs to consider it a happy country. People from around of the world who visited the US at least once noticed how glorious the United States is.Moreover, the relationships that the American Government built over time with other countries may also be one of the reasons why American citizens are proud of their country. In addition, the high level of education that is world renowned may also make citizens feel happy. In other words, a happy nation is comprised of hard-working satisfied people who enjoy their environment, families and homes, who take pride and are patriotic, and who support educational opportunities provided by a government respected by other nations – that country is the United States of America.

Meat the Truth The Humane Problem - 750 Words

The world has different views on whether it is ethical to eat meat. The most important moral should be that the animals are being treated humanely before and during the slaughtering process. Customers who eat meat need to know that the meat they are buying does not come from mistreated animals. Customers should be buying their meat from small farms or larger companies that promote cruelty-free production. Broiler chickens are kept to a point they can barely walk and hens are piled in a small cage with a half-dozen more hens. These hens end up eating their own cage partners, rubbing their breasts against the wire to the point they are bleeding and 10 percent of hens do not even survive these conditions. Factory farms do this so customers can buy eggs at a cheap price. We cull to keep populations of animals down and to keep them also from starvation. If an animal gets old or has a disease the people taking care of the animals should put them down humanely so they do not suffer through the process. If more places would practice humane treatment towards animals that are being raised for slaughter and training their employees how to care for the animals, society might not think eating meat is so cruel. Hughes 2 Researching where the meat is coming from is a big step in not buying mistreated animals. Animals live their lives out in factory farms that mistreat these animals. Pork producers have the sows in horrible conditions by keeping them in a farrowing crate whereShow MoreRelatedIs Meat Consumption For The Simplest Daily Activities And Bodily Functions?1683 Words   |  7 Pagesthroughout history and even dating up to today have relied on meat consumption for the simplest daily activities and bodily functions. 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