DATE: Sunday, February 20, 2011 and Sunday, March 20, 2011, 1:00 pm
SITE: St. Johns Hospital – Oakland: Education Center
27351 Dequindre Rd (West side); Madison Heights
(North of 11 Mile Rd • South of 12 Mile
Conveniently located North of I-696 and East of I-75)
Meeting Information: Patricia Beer @ (586) 558-9767
Shown in TWO parts
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL VIDEO
Great Wall of China &
China's First Emperor:
Qin Shi Huang
Visible from Space, The Great Wall of China: the largest man-made feature on the planet. contrary to legend, not visible from the moon, report astronauts Armstrong, Lovell, & Irwin.
Visible from space, and referred by many names: Sleeping Dragon, Serpent of tone, the Great Wall is the longest man made construction on Earth. A symbol of suffering by the people of China, it is the longest cemetery in the world, beginning at the Yellow Sea and ending at the White River,
The history of the Great Wall spans more than 2000 years, and it is now considered to be one of the greatest wonders on earth. Though there are sections of the wall that have now fallen into ruin, or that have even completely disappeared, it remains one of the most sought attractions in the entire world due to both its majesty as well as its great significance. In 1987, UNESCO listed the Great Wall of China among the prestigious World Heritage sites.
Though it is not known exactly when the construction of the Great Wall of China began, it is commonly believed that it was built as a military fortification to protect against tribal intrusions across the borders during the Zhou Dynasty. In the late Spring and Autumn Period, which ran from 770 BC to 476 BC, the ducal states extended their defense works and began building “great” structures for prevention of attacks from neighboring states.
In 221 BC after conquering most of its neighboring states, Ying Zheng, the ruler of the Qin State declared himself Qin Shihuangdi, the first Emperor of The Qin Dynasty. The word Qin in pronounced "chin" and is the source of the name China. Thus began the reign of the First Emperor of China, and the beginning of the Great Wall. Qin Shihuangdi began the construction of the Great Wall by connecting many of the existing border walls to protect the northern border of his kingdom from invasion. The construction continued for centuries and employed the work of millions. The wall not only provided incredible defense in the north of the country, but was a tremendous symbol of the emperor’s might.
After the Qin Dynasty, the Great Wall experienced many extensions. Emperor Wu (Han Wu Di) of the Han Dynasty wished to maintain safety against the Xiongnu, as they had been at war with this tribe in 127 BC, 121 BC and 119 BC, so he extended the wall to the west to guard the Hexi Corridor (in what is now the Gansu Province) as well as the Xinjiang region. Later, many more constructions and extensions were made to the great wall within the successive Northern Wei, Northern Qi and Sui dynasties.
Presently, the Great wall that exists in Beijing is from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). It was built from bricks and granite and included greatly sophisticated designs and passes, holding largely strategic importance. The Ming Wall begins in Yalujiang River (which lies in today’s Heilongjiang Province) and stretches over 5’000 kilometers to Guansu. Today, the wall is considered a must-see for every visitor to China.
Summer at the Great Wall of China
Members and Guests are encouraged to bring Chinese artifacts to both meetings. Join us at Mongolian Buffet, for dinner after the meeting
