Are There Bodies In The Great Wall Of China? Here's The Truth!

Joan Agie
Oct 30, 2023 By Joan Agie
Originally Published on Dec 16, 2021
Historians often argue about the bodies in the Great Wall of China.

The Great Wall of China is a significant landmark in human history.

This was deemed to be one of the most arduous and extensive construction projects ever to have been completed. Northern Wei Dynasty and Sui Dynasty are two of the most important dynasties committed to constructing the great wall.

If you are planning a visit to China, then the Great Wall is a must-see destination on your list of places to visit as one of the wonders of the world. Though the project might have caught a place in the world's wonders.

But, it resulted from the suffering of millions of soldiers, peasants, and even convicts who came from newly unified nations.

The Great wall was supposed to be a defensive structure; however, it lasted for several dynasties before it was completed. There are many stories in history from ordinary people about seeing bones in the west structure.

Some popular belief is that the emperor buried the fallen soldiers in the history of his empire in the building. Emperor Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor in Chinese history from the qin dynasty, had a vast army of soldiers and ordered the labor force to create this wall building.

Qin Shi Huang created this building to protect his soldiers from dying in the pre-attack.

But some people think that he buried his soldiers or enemy soldiers to keep as a memento of his creation. The Ming dynasty followed up on the creation, sometimes calling it the ming wall. Sima Qian was a Chinese historian of the early Han dynasty. He has been considered to be a significant asset for china.

The Ming Dynasty was the last before the construction was completed. Plenty of hardship that the Ming people had to face is what made the Great Wall of China. The great wall took 2000 years to complete. The Qin Dynasty built the original part of the wall.

The original section extended for 20 years after it began in the year 221 BCE. The extension, however, continued. During the reign of King Wen Chu between the Spring and Autumn Period, from 770 BC to 276 BC, the construction of the Fangcheng wall was ordered. This was done to bolster the defenses of his kingdom.

There are many stories, legends, and myths around the Great Wall of China that captivate readers from across the world. After reading about the history of bodies in the Great Wall of China, also check out Australian history facts and August birthday facts that you will surely love!

Number Of Bodies In Great Wall Of China

Thousands of laborers were used to build this wall. The labor was mainly divided into three groups, soldiers, common people, and criminals. The construction sites of this wall were in north china to protect the northern border.

Because of such reasons, this ancient series of the wall in China has been considered the longest cemetery, with rumors that people died building it during ancient times. It is also believed that after the wall's construction was over and the wall was built, and it is so huge that it can be seen from outer space.

They did not have a choice in whether they could work or not, but it was compulsory. It took 1,800,000 laborers to complete the entire section that stretches from Haikou to Hangzhou.

Criminals were asked to work on the wall as a punishment for a certain amount of time. When conditions were harsh, and the workers died in the area, they were replaced with family members.

About 400,000 people died during the construction of this Great Wall. Not many bricks were used for the construction of these walls, local resources like the rammed earth and rocks lying nearby were taken, and the labor was very extensive.

Bodies were, however, buried in mass graves beside the wall as opposed to the usual rumors that the bodies were wrapped along with the bricks.

Significance Of Dead Bodies In Great Wall Of China

This wall was built even with the labor of children. They had to work on the walls forcibly, and this tore apart many hundreds of families.

Many families were worried about having boys because boys' chances of being employed to build the wall when they grew up were high. Many women lost both their husbands and sons to the plight of this construction.

The Great Wall of China was rumored to have been built with the bodies of the common people who were employed to build the wall. But it was not valid because the decomposing bodies would have weakened the insides of the walls over time. This would have made the wall itself weak due to hollow spaces within them.

What is the Great Wall of China filled with?

This wall was built using multiple materials. The workers also used footings to build the outer layer of the walls.

Sometimes, uncut stones from the earth were taken. The remains of the dead workers were also sometimes used, which is why it was believed that the wall would possibly include the dead bodies of the workers. Many sections made up this wall, including the stone section, soil section, sand section, and many more.

How many years did it take to complete the Great Wall of China?

It took over 2000 years to build the entire wall. The construction began in 770 BC. It runs to a length of 13048.8 mi (21000 km).

It became the World Heritage Site being located in Northern China. The most famous part of this wall is the Badaling of the Great Wall. The China borders were built during the Zhou dynasty in 770 BC. Later, Emperor Qin commissioned the extension of the walls.

The recent portion was constructed during the Ming Dynasty. In 1368, The Great Wall of China was rebuilt around the country's capital Beijing. Hero General Qi Jiguang ordered for it to be done.

This project was going to be a breakthrough as a single barrier of defense for the entire border. But there are multiple rumors about these walls, and the wall cannot be seen from the Moon. The Chinese don't call these walls the Great Wall.

Also, this great wall is made of more than just one wall. Though the wall was built for protection and defense, it was never able to stop any invasion. The Mongols were still able to attack the Chinese.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created many interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for bodies in the Great Wall of China, then why not take a look at why do hamsters run on wheels or why do I love my dog so much.

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Written by Joan Agie

Bachelor of Science specializing in Human Anatomy

Joan Agie picture

Joan AgieBachelor of Science specializing in Human Anatomy

With 3+ years of research and content writing experience across several niches, especially on education, technology, and business topics. Joan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Human Anatomy from the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria, and has worked as a researcher and writer for organizations across Nigeria, the US, the UK, and Germany. Joan enjoys meditation, watching movies, and learning new languages in her free time.

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