CHINA

Shobhit SinghSahil YadavAtharva S. K.Amit DograShaurya SethiRaghav SabraAryan SinghPushkar TanwarRitesh MalikAnkit Thakur

GROUP-2CLASS:- IX-C

CHINA

The Great

Wall of China

IntroductionThe Great Wall of China is a series of fortifications made of

stone, brick, tamped earth, wood, and other materials, generally built along an east-to-west line across the historical northern borders of China to protect the Chinese states and empires against the raids and invasions of the various nomadic groups of the Eurasian Steppe.

The Great Wall of China is one of the seven wonders. It is about 6,400km long and it was built mare than 2000 years ago.

It is also called “the longest cemetery on Earth”.The Great Wall of China started building during 7th century B.C.

HISTORY

Idea of The Great wall of China is taken from “The Rectangle Wall”.

Great Wall is not only one long wall but made up of a number of Interconnecting walls.

The Four Periods of The Great Wall:-Qin Dynasty (208 BC).Han Dynasty (1st century BC).Northern and Southern Dynasties (1138-1198).

Ming Dynasty (1368-1620).

Qin DynastyThe Great Wall was built when seven powerful states appeared at the same time, to defend themselves. At that time the wall was 3,107 miles and each part of wall belonged to different part of the states.In 221 B.C the Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi ordered to connect the walls (built by all the states) also he added a part of his section because he was afraid from the northerns that were called Xiongnu. Qin wall was formed which started from the east of today’s Liaoning Province and ended at Lintao, Gansu Province.

Han DynastyThe ruler of the Han Dynasty was Han Wudi (“Martial emperor of Han”). He said to design the project of the Great Wall in 127 B.C. The Wall extended to the territories to the present day Mount Yinshan of Inner Mongolia. The main reason for contributing to this project was to be secure from the north- from the Gobi. This was the main reason for all of the efforts from every Dynasty to the making of this wall.

Northern and Southern Dynasties

Four dynasties built and added to The Great Wall:-The Northern WeiThe Eastern WeiThe Northern QiNorthern Zhou

Ming Dynasty The ruler of Ming Dynasty was Yong Le. He built large monuments and strengthened the Wall. The Great Wall of China was mostly built during the Ming Dynasty. The Wall started from the Yalu River in Liaoning Province and ended at the eastern bank of the Taolai River in Gansu Province.

PurposeThe main reason why the Chinese built the Great Wall was to prevent

troops from the north invading Chinese territory.Another great reason is to defend China from attacking Mongols.It was also built as a defense against ferocious nomadic tribes.The Great Wall also embodies a great deal of protection during a

battle.An important purpose of the Great Wall was to house troops.Housing troops was important because, if the Great Wall was under

attack, soldiers could just come out and defend China.

ConstructionThe Great Wall was constructed with natural materials.Earlier, the Great Wall was mainly built from earth, stones

and wood.Mostly bricks were used due to light weight.Builders always tried to use local sources.Stones from the mountains were used over mountain

ranges.It indicates a great achievement in architecture.

SECTIONS OF THE GREAT

WALL OF CHINA

Badaling SectionMutianyu SectionSimatai SectionJinshaling SectionGubeikou SectionJiumenkau Section

Huanghua cheng SectionHuangyanguan SectionJiankou SectionJiaoshan Section

CULTURE

Lots of beautiful legends and stories about the Great Wall took place following along the construction, and since that time these stories have spread around the country. Those that happened during construction are abundant, such as Meng Jiangnu's story and the legend of the Jiayuguan Pass.

Beautiful stories and legends about the Great Wall help to keep alive Chinese history and culture.

Meng Jiangnu's storyMeng Jiangnu's story is the most famous and widely spread of all the legends. The story happened during the Qin Dynasty (221BC-206BC). It tells of how Meng Jiangnu's bitter weeping made a section of the wall collapse. Meng Jiangnu's husband Fan Qiliang was caught by federal officials and sent to build the wall. Meng Jiangnu heard nothing from him after his departure, so she set out to look for him. Unfortunately, by the time she got there, she discovered that her husband had already died. Hearing the bad news, she cried her heart out. Her howl caused the collapse of a part of the wall. This story indicates that the wall is the production of tens of thousands of Chinese commoners.

Legend of the Jiayuguan PassAnother legend about the Jiayuguan Pass tells of a workman named Yi Kaizhan in the Ming Dynasty (1368BC-1644BC) who was proficient in arithmetic. He calculated that it would need 99,999 bricks to build the Jiayuguan Pass. The supervisor did not believe him and said if they miscalculated by even one brick, then all the workmen would be punished to do hard work for three years. After the completion of the project, one brick was left behind the Xiwong city gate. The supervisor was happy at the sight of the brick and ready to punish them. However Yi Kaizhan said with deliberation that the brick was put there by a supernatural being to fix the wall. A tiny move would cause the collapse of the wall. Therefore the brick was kept there and never moved. It can still be found there today on the tower of the Jiayuguan Pass.

What significance does The Great Wall of China hold in the world today?

Today the Great Wall is the world’s largest heritage structure and China’s most famous symbol. Millions of local and international tourists visit sections of the restored Ming dynasty walls and ‘wild walls’ outside Beijing.

The Great Wall, one of the greatest wonders of the world, was listed as a World Heritage by UNESCO in 1987. It is still one of the most appealing attractions all around the world owing to its architectural grandeur and historical significance

The Temple

of Heaven

The Temple of Heaven, literally the Altar of Heaven, is a medieval complex of religious buildings situated in the southeastern part of central Beijing. The complex was visited by the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven for good harvest.

It has been regarded as a Daoist temple, although Chinese heaven worship, especially by the reigning monarch of the day, predates Daoism.

Introduction

HISTORY

The temple complex was constructed from 1406 to 1420 during the reign of the Yongle Emperor, who was also responsible for the construction of the Forbidden City in Beijing. The complex was extended and renamed Temple of Heaven during the reign of the Jiajing Emperor in the 16th century. Jiajing also built three other prominent temples in Beijing, the Temple of Sun in the east, the Temple of Earth in the north, and the Temple of Moon in the west.

Who Made It?The Temple of Heaven, formerly called the Temple of Heaven and Earth, was first built in the 18th year (1420) of the Yongle reign under Ming (1368-1644) Emperor Chengzu, where the emperors of Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911) offered sacrifices to the Gods of Heaven and Earth.

Purpose In the 9th year (1530) of the Jiajing reign in the Ming Dynasty, a temple was especially built to offer sacrifices to the God of Earth in the northern suburban of Beijing, which was named the Temple of Earth, and therefore the Temple of Heaven and Earth, changed into the present name, was used only to worship the Heaven and pray for grain.

More HistoryThe Temple of Heaven is located in the southeast of Beijing downtown. In the past dynasties of ancient China, the ceremonies of offering sacrifices to ancestors or gods were usually held in the suburbs of the capital, which was called Jiaosi (suburban sacrifice) in the historical records. The Jiaosi was the most magnificent ceremony in ancient China, and especially since the Han and Tang dynasties, it became more and more solemn.

Features• The complex covers an area of 2.73 million square metres, stretching

in the east-west axis 1,700 metres and in the south-north axis 1,600 metres.• Only a small portion of the premises is taken by halls and altars,

leaving most of the space for vegetation. The dark green foliage decorates the compound, painting it in noble tinges.• Architectures for rituals usually dominated in the capital cities,

representing the most advanced architecture and arts. The Temple of Heaven serves as a best example of the ancient ritual institution.

CULTURE

Heaven Worship CultureStarting from Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), every year the emperor would come to the Temple of Heaven to hold ceremonies to worship the Heaven. Especially when encountering a year of draught, the emperor would go to the Circular Mound Altar to pray for rain.

Preparation WorkIn order to safeguard the "divine right of emperor" and show the divine authority, the ancient worshipping ceremony was highly emphasized with extremely strict precepts. Any error would be severely punished. A great deal of preparation work was needed. All the roads and buildings in the Temple of Heaven had to be renewed on a large scale. Five days before the ceremony, princes demanded that all the livestock to be sacrificed during the ceremony be carefully checked; three days before the ceremony, the emperor began to fast; two days before, prayer words should be written; on the last day, livestock should be slaughtered; sacrifices should be made and the ceremonial articles should be established. On the last day, the emperor must read the prayer, give a ritual at the Imperial Vault of Heaven, watch the divine tablets at the Circular Mound Alter, check the ceremonial articles in the Divine Storeroom, see the sacrifices at the Divine Kitchen, and then go back to the Palace of Abstinence for fasting; on the eve officers must straighten out the tablets, the ceremonial articles as well as the sacrifices. Besides all this, the music should be ready. Lastly, the officials of Ritual Department would perform an overall check.

Worshipping SiteThe Circular Mound Altar was dedicated to the heaven worship ceremony. The upper layer of the Heaven Heart Stone was set with the main tablet, the Tablet of Heaven Great. The eastern and western sides of the second layer had subsidiary tablets including tablets of the Gods of Sun, Moon, Stars, Cloud, Rain God, Wind and Thunder. A large number of offerings, such as jade, silk, cow, sheep, hog, wine, fruit and dishes were dedicated to the tablets. The eastern and western sides of the southern stairs of the Circular Mound Altar displayed 60 kinds of Shao music instruments, such as chimes, bells, etc. which were arranged in neat rows, solemn and magnificent.

Worshipping TimeSeven Ke (a “Ke” in the Qing Dynasty refers

to 15 minutes) before sunrise was the starting time. At this moment, the Bell of Supreme Harmony in the Palace of Abstinence was sounded, the emperor started off to the Circular Mound Altar.

Procedures① Welcome the Heaven Great: The emperor first changed into worshipping clothes at the Dressing Terrace, and then headed to the Circular Mound Altar and kneeled on the middle layer of the Altar. When the ceremonial music started, the emperor kneeled down at the main tablet and then at the subsidiary tablets subsequently. Lastly, gave rituals in front of the ancestral tablets.② Lay jade and silk: The emperor laid jades and silk in front of the tablets.③ Offer up sacrifices: The emperor offered sacrifices in front of the tablets.④ Give the first ritual: The emperor made the first libation to the Tablet of Heaven Great. At this time, special chapters of music and dance were played. The prayer words were read, and then the emperor kneeled three times and kowtowed for nine times before the tablet.

⑤ Give the second ritual: The emperor made a libation to the tablets for various gods. Special music and dance were performed at that time.⑥ Give the final ritual: The emperor made a final libation to all the sacred tablets, and kneeled down for three times and bowed for nine times.⑦ Withdraw the sacrifices: All the offerings were taken down the altar, and the “Xiping” chapter of music was played.⑧ Sent the Heaven Great: The emperor kneeled down for three times and bowed for nine times, and then went to the Firewood Stove. All the offerings, ceremonial placards and silk scrolls were respectfully transferred to the stove and put inside to be burned.⑨ Watch the burning: The emperor watched the burning of offerings, and then left the Temple of Heaven and went back to the Forbidden City. The ceremony was over.

Worship Music and DanceThe music played on the ceremony is the Zhonghe Shaoyue music which was divided into nine chapters, and the dance is the “Wugong Dance” consisting of eight independent parts. The music and dance made the ceremony grand and spectacular.