Book Description:
For more than 2,100 years the ancient Chinese built chang cheng, or long walls, in the north of their empire to defend it from nomadic invasion. Recording in earth, stone and bricks the protracted and violent conflict between the nomadic tribes of the north and the sedentary farming peoples of the south, these structures Great Walls of China go far beyond history. So labor intensive, and so time and material consuming were these projects that, even after the passage of centuries, long sections of the Great Wall remain as major landscape features, thus defining a special geography of north China. William Lindesay was lured to China in 1986 to explore the Ming dynasty Great Wall, which evolved between 1368 and 1644 in direct response to the threat of a re invasion by the Mongols. Travelling on foot in 1987 between its most westerly and easterly points, Lindesay discovered 'that the Great Walls are not objects, but subjects.' Guided in his belief that 'field work is the key to understanding' he has remained in China for 15 years to systematically explore the Great Wall's geography, history, architecture, archaeology, military function, construction logistics, purpose and performance. All of which are covered in this book, revealing many new aspects of this fascinating subject. Written by the most renowned foreign explorer of the Great Wall New enlarged edition, more than twice the original size with much additional information provided to enhance readers' knowledge of the subject Clear maps to illustrate the geography of the complex structure Line drawings to illustrate main architectural elements Archive and present day photos reveal the changes to the Wall in the last century Facts for the visitor including where and when to visit, where to stay, how to book Sidebars on subjects including early foreign impressions of the Great Wall, weapons and conservation issues 56 superb colour photographs the result of more than 500 days of exploration 3 maps
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