As one of the oldest and most impressive man-made structures on Earth, it’s hard to believe that The Great Wall of China is still shrouded in myth and legend. Constructed as early as 220 BC along the northern borders of ancient China, records of its creation and its true purpose have been lost in time.
It is around this mystery that this year’s most visually stunning adventure epic, The Great Wall starring Matt Damon was created, as it delves into the fantasy of the structure being built to keep a monstrous alien species at bay, and protect its country and people from being ravaged by this extraterrestrial army. Although this may be based more on ancient Chinese legend than fact, we know that there are many aspects of the wall’s history that are largely unknown. So to celebrate the release of The Great Wall on Digital, 4K Ultra HD, 3D Blu-ray, Blu-ray, DVD and On Demand June 12, 2017 we separate the myths from the facts and take a look at the ‘eighth wonder of the world’ in more detail:
PROTECTION AGAINST INVASIONS FROM THE NORTH WAS NOT THE ONLY PURPOSE OF THE WALL
Whether it be invasions from human or alien armies, it’s clear from its sheer size and length that the wall was built to keep the powerful Chinese nation safe from invasion. But what many people don’t know was that it was also used for border controls, imposing duties on transported goods, and regulation of trade and immigration.
WALL CONSTRUCTION WAS A COMMON PUNISHMENT FOR CHINESE CONVICTS
Transgressions ranging from homicide to tax evasion were all punishable with Wall duty.
The work was dangerous, and estimates say hundreds of thousands of workers perished during construction. In fact, to distinguish outlawed prisoners from their civilian colleagues, they’d have their heads shaved, faces blackened, and limbs bound in chains. This takes the term ‘community service’ to a whole different level…
NEW SECTIONS OF THE GREAT WALL ARE STILL BEING DISCOVERED
Previously unknown stretches of The Great Wall have been discovered as recently as 2012. In the past decade, archaeologists have located some of the northernmost sections yet to be identified, standing in and on the border of present-day Mongolia. It appears that before it could be recorded, parts of the wall crumbled so much that they were generally thought to not have existed, before they were uncovered very recently.
THE GREAT WALL IS THE LONGEST STRUCTURE EVER BUILT BY HUMANS
Although the official number of the length of the Great Wall is 5,500 miles, estimates state that the actual length of the entire Great Wall was at one point over 13,000 miles. Even a particularly controversial, once proposed wall on the US/Mexico border would fall short of that, only reaching 1000 miles, making the Chinese architectural feat look even more incredible.
THE GREAT WALL IS MADE OF RICE
It is mostly built with sturdy and unremarkable building materials like earth and stone, however, glutinous rice—known colloquially as “sticky rice”—was incorporated into the mortar recipe thanks to its cohesive properties. In fact, modern studies have indicated that the amylopectin of the rice (the same substance that makes it sticky) helps to explain the wall’s strength and endurance, playing a major part in what makes it so great.
PIECES OF THE GREAT WALL WERE RECYCLED TO BUILD CIVILIAN HOMES IN THE 1960s AND 1970s
In what goes down as an incredible gesture of charity, between 1966 and 1976, miles of the Wall were stripped of bricks and repurposed to build civilian homes. Mao Zedong and the Red Guard recognised the Wall as little more than a relic whose materials would better serve in the development of contemporaneous housing, taking a particularly practical look at early recycling.
THE NOT SO GREAT WALL OF CHINA
The Chinese name for the ‘great wall’ is Chángchéng which literally means ‘Long Wall’. It is also sometimes referred to as Wànl? Chángchéng, which translates as ‘Long Wall of 10,000 Li’. Though the walls are quite inspiring, they were never called ‘great’ in Chinese and only by foreign mistranslation with romantic overtones. It seems the Chinese are not as impressed by their wall as we are!
CERTAIN STANDING PORTIONS OF THE WALL MIGHT VANISH BEFORE 2040
Expert predictions about the Great Wall’s fortitude have grown increasingly worrying of late, as natural weathering and human-imparted erosion may result in the disappearance of certain parts of the Wall before as early as 2040. Plus, if the devastating Tao Tei re-spawn in that time then there might not be much of the wall left! Advice would be to go visit now while it’s still in its fullest form…
THE GREAT WALL IS NOT VISIBLE FROM SPACE (BY THE NAKED EYE)
People have been exaggerating for centuries about the wall’s visibility from space with the naked eye. This is not true, though it can be seen with aid. In fact, it was English scholar William Stukeley who outlined the idea in his Family Memoirs, written in 1754, and the Chinese whisper (pun intended) snowballed to the present day where more people seem to believe it than not. At best, the Wall can be spotted from a low orbit, sunlight and weather permitting.
The Great Wall is available on Digital, 4K Ultra HD, 3D Blu-ray, Blu-ray, DVD and On Demand June 12, 2017, from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment and Legendary Pictures
Karen Woodham is the founder and owner of the Blazing Minds. She is also a Cinema reviewer and works with RealD 3D reviewing the latest 3D releases and IMAX, she has also had several articles published in various publications including the first edition of SFW Magazine. In 2015 she became an Award Winning Blogger and also has her website listed as one of the UK’s Top 10 Film Blogs.
