About the history of the Great Wall

The Great Wall in northern China began in Qin, Zhao and Yan during the Warring States Period.

The Starting Point of the Great Wall —— Why Lao Longtou, Qin, Zhao and Yan built the Great Wall in the North

Why did Qin Zhaoyan build the Great Wall in the north? This should start from the situation in the Warring States period. The Warring States period is a period of transition from slave society to feudal society in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River and Yangtze River in China. With the strengthening of political and economic ties between countries, the exchange and integration between Zhu Xia culture and Qin, Chu and Wu-Yue cultures has become increasingly strong. After the seven countries of Wei, Zhao, Han, Chu, Qi, Qin and Yan, which were carrying out feudal reforms at that time, became powerful, they waged a war of annexation and sought to unify the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River and the Yangtze River by force. At this time, the ethnic minorities in the grasslands of northern Shaanxi, northern Shanxi, northern Hebei and Inner Mongolia gradually became stronger and plundered the northern borders of Qin, Zhao and Yan. In the north of Qin, there are Yiqu and Xiongnu in the north; There are loufan in the northwest of Zhao, and Huan and Xiongnu in the north. Donghu, the northern boundary of Yan State. These northern minority regimes, apart from engaging in agriculture, make a living by nomadic and hunting. Yiqu is a powerful country on the Loess Plateau in the northwest of China. It fought with Qin for more than one hundred years from the Spring and Autumn Period to the Warring States Period. Xiongnu, Donghu and other nomadic peoples have high military quality and strong combat capability. According to historical records? Biography of Xiongnu records that Huns live by nomadic and hunting, with horses, cattle and sheep as the most livestock, followed by camels, donkeys and mules. They "migrate by water plants and don't have to live in the city to farm." However, there are also points. "Men learned to ride horses and shoot at an early age." Children can ride sheep and shoot birds and mice with bows; If it grows less, it will shoot foxes and rabbits; Use it to make food. Therefore, once you are an adult, you will become a "rider". "During the Warring States period, the Huns had entered the slave society and had state power institutions. The king is called Khan, and there are left and right sages, left and right kings, left and right generals, left and right commanders, left and right leaders, and left and right leaders. Except for the right and left ministers, all the other ministers are hereditary. Donghu, Hu Lin, Huaneng and Loufan are basically the same as Xiongnu.

Since the mid-Warring States period, they have been plundering Qin, Zhao and Yan in the northern region. Because they are good at riding and shooting, are good at fighting, take sudden attacks, come and go freely, haunt, and show strong combat effectiveness. In the mid-Warring States period, the combat troops of Qin, Zhao and Yan were mainly infantry and chariots, wearing big sleeves that took off their coats and moving slowly for 30 to 50 miles a day. Naturally, they could not stop the Huns and Donghu people from attacking and plundering. This not only seriously threatened the lives and property of the people in the northern part of the three countries, but also seriously damaged their production and greatly affected the cause of reunification of the three countries. In response to this passive situation, the three countries successively carried out military reforms and built the Great Wall in the north.

Starting from Shang Yang, the State of Qin began to reform and promote Qiang Bing to become a rich country. The army gradually changed into infantry and cavalry, and was rewarded and promoted with military merit, so the combat effectiveness of the army increased and it was invincible. In six years (the first 332 years) and ten years, King Huiwen defeated Wei and seized Weixi County (now Luohe Valley in Shaanxi Province) and Shangjun County (now northeast Shaanxi Province). In order to prevent the Huns from plundering the south, Zhao Haoqi ordered the Great Wall to be built on the northern border of Longxi, Beidi and Shang Jun, and sent troops to station it.

In the 19th year of Zhao Wuling (307 BC), he began to reform the military system and carried out riding and shooting. Since then, the troops have become more powerful. In twenty years, King Wuling traveled west to the lakeside and arrived in Yuzhong. King Hu Lin surrendered his horse before returning home. In the twenty-sixth year (the first three hundred years), Zhongshan was broken, and the prosperous place reached Yan and Dai in the north (now northwest of Shanxi), and then extended to Yunzhong and Jiuyuan in the northwest (now from Helinger County to Wujiahe in Inner Mongolia). So he ordered the construction of the Great Wall, merged with Yinshan Mountain (now Daqing Mountain and Wulate Mountain in Inner Mongolia), and went west to reach Dahe River (now Wujiahe River in Inner Mongolia). At the same time, Daijun County, Yanmen County and Yunzhong County were set up to prevent the Huns from plundering south. In order to specialize in Northwest China, the following year, he gave way to his son, Wang Huiwen He, who was named the main father. In the second year of King Huiwen (297 BC), his father went to Xihe (the Yellow River between Shanxi and Inner Mongolia), and the ruined building angered the king and sent troops.

Yan State is the weakest country among the Seven Heroes in the Warring States Period, bordering Qiangqi and the newly established Zhao State in the south and East Lake in the north. It was not until he ascended the throne (the first 3 1 1) that Yan became strong, recruited talents and carried out reforms. At that time, Donghu was powerful and often plundered the northern part of Yan. In order to maintain the peace in the north, the Yan army was forced to make peace with King Donghu and held the general hostage. Zhao Shi was born in East Lake. He is clever and brave, and King Donghu trusts him very much. Therefore, he is free to move, and he can understand the dangers and obstacles, protection and laws of military activities in the south of East Lake. After returning home, he led an army to attack East Lake, which was broken, but it was thousands of miles away. And "crossing Liaodong to attack Korea" was extended to Tanshui (now Qingchuan River in North Korea). So, "Yan also built the Great Wall to make Yang (now kangbao county, Hebei, Taibus Banner, Inner Mongolia) go to Xiangping; Put it in Shanggu, Yuyang, Youbeiping, Liaoxi and Liaodong counties to refuse Hu. "

To sum up, the reason why Qin, Zhao and Yan built the Great Wall in the north during the Warring States Period was to defend against Xiongnu and Donghu from the south.

The Great Wall developed from cities and castles. As a military defense project, cities and fortresses began as early as the end of the primitive commune. Because it can play an effective defensive role, it has developed in general since it entered the class society. The Great Wall first appeared in the Spring and Autumn Period, such as Fangcheng of Chu State (in the present Nanyang area of Henan Province). During the Warring States Period, there were the Great Wall of Weixi County, the Great Wall of Zhangzhao Water, the Great Wall of Zhongshan West, the Great Wall of Yanyi Water and the Great Wall of Taishan Mountain. These Great Walls once played a great role in the war. The swift cavalry of nomadic people in the north is unpredictable, and no country can stop their attack and plunder, whether it is infantry or cavalry. Only by building the Great Wall and garrison defense can they be prevented from plundering south. Only by building the Great Wall in the north can we deploy the main forces in the annexation and defense war between countries and complete the great cause of reunification.

Second, the value of the Great Wall of Qin, Zhao and Yan

What role did the Great Wall of Qin, Zhao and Yan play in the war as a military defense project? There are few records about its function, especially Qin Changcheng and Yan Changcheng, and even fewer records about Zhao Changcheng. Does this mean that they have no effect? No, on the contrary, it just shows that after the Three Kingdoms built the Great Wall, Xiongnu and Donghu did not cross the Great Wall and swept the south. The Great Wall played an important role in military defense.

As we all know, the Wang Zhao period was one of the fastest periods for the territory expansion of Qin State. If the Great Wall had not been built in the north, Qin would have sent troops to guard the important passages and passes in the north to prevent the powerful Xiongnu from plundering the south. How can we deploy an army to constantly defeat the allied forces of the six countries and occupy a large area of land in the six countries? Visible, after the completion of Qin Changcheng, only need a small number of troops stationed, can stop the huns south. If the Xiongnu army goes south, it will not be easy to break for a while because of the Great Wall defense; Xianyang and Qin Dou are not far from here, and they can be rescued in one day and one night or two or three days and three nights. Therefore, the Huns dared not go south and failed to recruit themselves. In a word, since King Qin Zhao built the Great Wall, the Huns have never plundered south again, which just shows the military defense function of the Great Wall.

As for Zhao Great Wall, it was built at the foot of Yinshan Mountain (now southeast of Daqingshan and Wulashan), with poor quality and close to Xiongnu, so it was often attacked by Xiongnu troops at first. Although Zhao sent troops to defend and took the initiative to go out of the city to fight, he was defeated repeatedly. During the reign of Zhao Daoxiang (224-236 BC), Zhao's frontier defense was defeated by Xiongnu, and the north was tight, so he sent general Li Mu to the Great Wall to lead the army to defend it. The loss of Wang Xiang gave Li Mu the privilege of cheap appointment and dismissal of subordinate officials, and handed over the business tax and land tax in Yunzhong, Yanmen and northern Dai Jun to Li Mu for military expenditure. Li Mu headquarters is located under the North Great Wall in Yanmen County, so as to give consideration to both things. He is very kind to soldiers, killing a few cows every day to improve food; He ordered the army: "When the Huns came to plunder, all soldiers immediately entered the Great Wall with cattle, horses and sheep, and whoever dared to catch them would be beheaded!" Every time the Huns invaded, because of the tight firepower and knowing the news in advance, the soldiers and civilians of Zhao took livestock into the Great Wall. Xiongnu plundered people, livestock and wealth and had to retreat. A few years later, although the Huns were not defeated, Zhao Jun was not defeated. The Xiongnu and the border people of Zhao thought Li Mu was timid, and the prince of Zhao also blamed Li Mu. And Li Mu remains the same. The king of Zhao was angry and recalled the shepherd to North Korea and replaced him with another general. The new strategy will be to meet the challenge; Every time the Huns came, he led the army to attack and lost several times. For more than a year, soldiers suffered many casualties and could not graze in the north. The prince of Zhao had no choice but to ask Li Mu to defend the Great Wall again. Li Mu goldbrick, overseers, refused to life. Zhao Wang is a strong shepherd. Let the shepherd guard the north. Li Mu said to the prince of Zhao, "Wang Yi wants to use me. I still use the previous strategy. I dare to be ordered only if you agree. " Zhao Wang had to agree. Li Mu arrived at the Great Wall, as before. After several years, the Huns got nothing. In the end, however, I was afraid of Li Mu. Zhao Shoubian's soldiers "are willing to fight every day if they are rewarded or not." Therefore, Li Mu chose 1, 300 chariots, 1, 300 horses, 50,000 soldiers who could defeat the enemy and capture generals, and 1, 000,000 sharpshooters to train and fight. After practice, I will do a lot of animal husbandry. North of the Great Wall, there are people and animals everywhere. When the Huns heard about it, they came to plunder it. Small entry, grazing will fail, and people and animals will be responsible. Khan was overjoyed, so he led his troops south. Li Mu set an ambush in advance, and under the attack of Zhang's left and right wings, he defeated more than 65,438+10,000 people in tarkan. Khan was defeated and fled to the north. After 10 years, the Huns dared not go near the Zhao Great Wall. Zhao defeated the enemy, destroyed East Lake and surrendered. In this way, the northern part of Zhao is very calm and the people live and work in peace and contentment. From here, we can clearly see the great role of Zhao Great Wall in military defense.

At the end of Qin Dynasty and the beginning of Han Dynasty, Xiongnu crossed the Great Wall built by Qin and Meng Tian in the Central Plains War and was bounded by the Great Wall of Qin, Zhao and Yan in the Warring States Period. Due to the disrepair of the Great Wall and the scarcity of defenders in the north, the powerful Xiongnu continued to plunder the Great Wall and went deep into Daigu, Taiyuan, Xihe, Shang Jun and Beidi counties. Emperor Gaozu, Hui Di, Wendi and Jingdi were forced to adopt a pro-Xiongnu policy. Marry a princess to be E Shi (queen) for Khan and give him a lot of wealth. However, even this dilapidated Great Wall has played a role in military defense to a certain extent. If it weren't for the Xiongnu army, it would be impossible to enter the Great Wall and plunder. Secondly, if the defenders are effective, even with the Xiongnu army, they can't enter the Great Wall. Like Li Guang, Cheng Wu is also a famous Great Wall Guardian. He was very strict in running the army and was always on guard against the Huns' surprise attack, which also showed that the Great Wall of the Warring States period played a certain role. Later, Wei Qing, Huo Qubing, GongSunHe, Gong and others attacked the Huns, all of which were based on Zhao and Qin Changcheng. This shows that until the early Western Han Dynasty, the Great Wall of Qin, Zhao and Yan in the Warring States period was still playing a military defense role, although its defense ability was much worse than that in the Warring States period. It was not until Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty drove the Huns to Mobei, restored the Qin Changcheng built by Meng Tian and built the Outer Great Wall that the Great Wall of Qin, Zhao and Yan in the Warring States was abandoned and the military defense function ended.

Third, the historical and practical value of the Great Wall of Qin, Zhao and Yan in the Warring States Period.

The Great Wall of Qin, Zhao and Yan during the Warring States Period has important historical value. First of all, it shows that only by building the Great Wall and increasing a certain number of troops can the lightning attack of nomadic cavalry in the north be prevented. Without the Great Wall, even with a large number of infantry and cavalry, it is still impossible to defend. The historical facts of the Warring States period proved this point. Because the Great Wall was an effective military defense project, it was later adopted by Qin Shihuang. After Qin Shihuang expelled Xiongnu to Mobei, he ordered Meng Tian to build a new Great Wall immediately.

Secondly, the Great Wall built by Qin, Zhao and Yan during the Warring States Period is quite scientific. It was basically built by taking advantage of the dangerous situation of mountains and rivers. Build tall and thick walls in mountain passes and plains to cut off the entrance and exit of Xiongnu and East Lake cavalry. In addition to the Great Wall, beacon towers have been built at the commanding heights inside and outside, which are used to detect the enemy's situation, deliver news and prepare the defenders on the Great Wall. Barricades will be built at traffic intersections and valleys, and the garrison will strengthen the defense capability of the Great Wall. Within the Great Wall, large cities with garrisons will be built at regular intervals, and communication networks will be set up to deliver news quickly, and unified command and mutual support will be carried out. The Great Wall of the Three Kingdoms and its supporting buildings, such as beacon towers, barriers and city walls, constitute a complete military defense system. This military defense system is scientific and effective. It provides a model for later military defense projects. Although the Qin Changcheng built by Meng Tian is newly built, it is obvious that he designed it on the basis of referring to the Great Wall buildings of Qin, Zhao and Yan in the Warring States period, and at the same time, he learned from each other's strong points. For example, he uses mountains and rivers to build cities and obstacles because they are dangerous. He built the Great Wall on a high mountain, making use of ridges and peaks as much as possible, making it impossible for tarquin to cross it. Try to use the river as a barrier, and try to build the Great Wall to the north of the river so that the enemy can't get water. On the hills and plains, build tall city walls, or build them with earth and stone clips or rammed with earth. The sections of the Great Wall are connected into a magnificent dragon to separate the north from the south. Compared with the Great Wall of the Three Kingdoms, the beacon tower in Qin Changcheng has been improved. They are all built on the open hills outside the Great Wall. According to the terrain, there is one in every 10, 20 and 30 miles. The barrier city has also been improved, and two barrier cities, north and south, have been built at traffic intersections or taniguchi. The cities where large troops are stationed are all built to the south of the Great Wall and are closely connected with it. It can be said that Qin Changcheng's highly scientific architectural system is the inheritance and development of the Great Wall architectural system of Qin, Zhao and Yan in the Warring States Period.

Finally, the historical value of the Great Wall of Qin, Zhao and Yan in the Warring States not only shows the great spirit of the Chinese nation more than 2,200 years ago, but also shows the high wisdom, superb military scientific level and high scientific culture of the people of China at that time.

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Before I went to Linhai, I looked for local scenic spots everywhere. All the key points of seaside tourism were on one scenic spot, which was the "Ancient Great Wall in the South of the Yangtze River" built around Linhai City. So, when I got off at Linhai, I went straight to the Great Wall.

After thousands of years of vicissitudes, the charm still exists.

Linhai City was founded in the Jin Dynasty and has a history of more than 2,000 years. It has always been the seat of Taizhou Prefecture. It is an ancient town and a new city that integrates the profound heritage of a thousand-year-old town, the beautiful landscape of a famous city in the south of the Yangtze River and the prosperity of a modern city. 1994 was named as a national historical and cultural city by the State Council. There are many historic sites near the sea in the urban area, such as the Twin Towers in Jinshan, the Yu Xiu in East Lake, the ancient temples in Tang Dynasty and Ziyang Ancient Street, all of which are scenic spots, especially the ancient city walls. The length of the ancient city wall used to be more than 6 thousand meters, but now it is 5 thousand meters. It starts from Range Rover Gate in the east, meanders along the ridge of Beigushan Mountain to Xiayanting, and then detours to the east bank of Lingjiang River, all the way to the foot of Shanxi. It is magnificent, magnificent, especially in the north, quite similar to the Badaling Great Wall in Beijing. She is known as "Badaling in the south of the Yangtze River" and is a must in the south of the Yangtze River.

The ancient city wall near the sea has a history of 1500 years. This outstanding cultural heritage has become one of the most intact ancient city walls in China. At present, the ancient city wall still contains gates and city walls such as Jingyue Gate, Xingshanmen Gate, Zhenning Gate, Wangjiangmen Gate and Kucang Gate, as well as four clay pots, eight enemy towers and 13 pier (beacon tower).

From the scenic exit on the north side of East Lake, you can see the majestic and steep stone steps in the city by passing through the Shipai Building with the words "Southeast of Xiongzhen". There are 198 steps on the stone steps. Looking back at the East Lake, I saw pavilions, picturesque and refreshing.

Walking up the stone steps is the "Range Rover Gate" at the entrance of the ancient city wall. Walking west from Range Rover Gate, the quaint and elegant city wall slowly brings you into the Millennium historical changes. Walking on the wall, the pines and cypresses on both sides are green and dripping, which is really interesting compared with the crowded and lively on the Great Wall in Beijing. An obvious feature of the ancient city wall is that it is near the sea. Inside and outside the city wall, one is high and the other is short. The outer wall is about one meter high and there is a gap between them, while the inner wall is about 0.5 meters high and continuous. About 65,438+0,000m away from the Range Rover Gate is the Xia Yan Pavilion. Seen from a distance, the Xia Yan Pavilion is majestic.

In the Tiantan Park, not far from the Xia Yan Pavilion, the "Jiangnan Round Tiantan", which was built in imitation of the ball altar, has just been completed. This is the "nine worlds", which is divided into "three layers and nine rings" in detail structure. The white jade-colored fan-shaped bedplates, steps and railings are all multiples of "nine-nine". Stamp your foot on the ring in the middle of the altar and you will hear a stereo echo. As a result, the city wall suddenly became steep again. I didn't know it was the so-called "Badaling in the south of the Yangtze River" until I asked. From there, looking down the hill, you can see the Linjiang city wall and gate, and there are two urn cities. Their structure is quite exquisite, which can not only prevent floods but also stop enemy attacks. Every brick and stone of the ancient city wall near the sea is engraved with the historical imprint of vicissitudes of life, which embodies the wisdom of the ancient people in China.

The Origin and Changes of Ancient City Walls

The ancient coastal city walls that still stand today have experienced five stages of historical changes. According to Ci Hai, from the fourth year of Long 'an in the Eastern Jin Dynasty (400 years) to the first year of Yuan Xing (402 years), it was the earliest ancient city wall. But in all kinds of historical materials, there are few records related to this.

After the Eastern Jin Dynasty, Linhai ushered in a period of great development. According to the Records of Taizhou Prefecture: Architecture, in the early Tang Dynasty, (Taizhou Prefecture) expanded its city to the southeast plain, which was "made by Wei Chijingde in the Tang Dynasty"; According to "Old Classics", it is "Attached to the Eighteen Miles. When the Chonghe Gate (East Gate) was first built, there was a Moon City (Wengcheng)". In the third year of the Northern Song Dynasty (AD 978), Qian Shu, King of Wu Yue, expressed his loyalty by "seizing the land and returning it to the Song Dynasty and destroying the city walls". The ancient city of Linhai, one of the thirteen states, is also among them, but the ancient city wall is fortunately preserved because of its flood control function in the southwest Lingjiang section.

It is precisely because the ancient city wall near the sea has the dual functions of defense and flood control that ancient military strategists took it as the focus. As a result, the ancient city wall that escaped the robbery entered the subsequent stage of large-scale construction. In the fifth year of the Song Dynasty (1045), Peng Siyong, the year of the year, rebuilt the city wall, and made Huangyan county magistrate responsible for the northwest corner, Linhai county magistrate responsible for the southeast corner, Linhai county commandant Wu responsible for the northeast corner, and Xianju county magistrate Xu Fang responsible for Beishan.

The wall structure, defense and flood control after this large-scale construction are more complete than the previous two times. In the Story of the New Town written by Su, who was in charge of repairing the city, there is a description of Huangyan County Order: "Although the pottery (brick) is solid, it is not as solid as stone."

According to historical records, when building the ancient city wall, the clever Taizhou people had adopted the more advanced construction methods at that time. Sixteen countries in the Eastern Jin Dynasty have always followed the original rammed earth slab construction method. Later, Zhao Shihu began to build bricks with rammed earth walls. By the end of the Southern Song Dynasty, due to the use of gunpowder, important city walls began to be built with bricks and stones to strengthen defense. In this way, the city wall is stronger and more conducive to defense and flood control.