The Great Wall of the Warring States Period was also served as a defense wall of each state. The defense wall in each state during the Warring State Period can be found here.
The Warring States Period is one of the important historical periods in ancient China. Its main timeline was in the end of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty. The Warring States Period is also one of the longest periods with the epoch theme "Breaking up" and "confrontation" in the history of china. Battles occurred very often, especially during the period of the “Seven powers of the warring states period”. Each state was eager to expend its land and set the boundaries for its territory. To defend the neighbor states’ invasion, each sate constructed defense walls. Along with the raising heat in the battles, the walls had been continually extended. The "
Seven Powers"--- Qin, Qi,
Chu, Han, Yan, Zhao and Wei, they constructed or extended their walls.
The Great Wall of the Qin State
Qin
state was suffering of the civil strife, weak economy and repeated invasions by Wei State at the beginning of the warring States Period. To safeguard Qin State, the kings, Qin Ligong and Qin Jiangong constructed the wall along its north border to west of the Yellow River and the Luo River - a site in Northern Shaanxi Province that can be found nowadays.
Another part of the great wall was constructed along the northwest border of Qin State by King Qin Zhaogong. The Yiqu lay to the northwest of Qin State. Starting from the Spring and Autumn Periods, Yiqu held battles with Qin from time to time. In order to prevent the invasion of the Yiqu, King Qin Huiwen constructed the fortification the frontier along north of the state. The Yiqu had not been defeated until the period of the King Qin Zhaogong. These sites now can be found in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and Gansu Province.
The Great Wall of the Zhao State
The walls of the Zhao State were constructed into two sections. One section was built in 333BC to the south frontier of the Zhao State. It was built to prevent the invasion from the Wei State and later the stronger Qin State. The wall was totally 200 Km long. Now you can find its site in Cixian and Linzhang County of Hebei Province. The other section was built by Zhao Wuling to prevent invasions from the Hu people in 300BC. As a wise King, Zhao Wuling made great efforts to the reforming of its state and promote the exchange of culture of different nationalities. On one hand, he learned from the Hu people; on the other hand he fought against them to protect his state.
The Great Wall of the Zhongshan State
The Zhongshan State is a small state, but it is powerful. It was in a alliance with the Qin State and the Yan State, who are its eastern and northern neighbors. They experienced a peaceful and long period. However, its other neighbors to the southwest of its territory consider it a serious threat. That is why Zhongshan constructed the wall at the junction of
Shanxi Province and Hebei Province to guard against the intrusion from Zhao and Wei. The wall ran over Mount Hengshan, crossing the Mount Taihangshan and reached the Xingtai region of Hebei Province. It extended about 250km.
The Great Wall of the Wei State
The Wei State was also a strong state. It neighbored the Chu State on the southeast bounded by now the Bianshui River, the Zhao State on the north, The Han State on the south, the Qin State on the west bounded by North Luohe River and the Song and Qi States on the east, taking the Huaishui and Yingshui Rivers as the boundary.The walls of the Wei state can be divided into two section. One section was built in the south of the state, called the Henan Wall. The other section was situated in the northwest of the frontier, names Hexi Wall. You can find the sites in now Hancheng city, Dali county and Huayin City in Shaanxi Province.
The Great Wall of the Zhenghan State
The Wall of the Zhenghan State was initially constructed in 355B.C. by Zheng State. Zheng was defeated by the Han later and it continually used and constructed the wall. This section of wall was called both the Wall of Zheng and the Wall of Han; hence it shared the name Wall of Zhenghan. The section of the wall could be connected with the southeastern Wall of the Wei State. Now you can find the site in present Xinzheng City in Henan Province, which used to be the capital of the Zheng and Han State.
The Great Wall of the Yan State
The Yan State was once a small state. The King Yan Zhaowang sought talents all over the state and collected them and granted exceptional ones with important positions. Yan was gradually growing up to be a powerful state at the north of China.
The Yan State neighbored with the Qi sate on the south, the Zhao state on the west and the Han state to the northeast. To the north of the Yan state bordered some small but aggressive minority nationalities mostly Donghu, Linhu and Loufan. They invade the frontier of the Yan state and threatened the safety there. To prevent the invasion of them, in 290 B.C., the Yan State decided to construct a wall along the Yanshan Mountain Range. The wall extended from now Huailai County of Hebei Province, across the the Luanhe River, wound on and turned away towards the northeast, extended more than the Liaohe River and ended in present Liaoyang of Liaoning Province. The complete wall was 500 kilometers. It could be the North Wall from the Yan State. it absolutely was the last wall constructed in Warring States Period.
The Wall of the Yan State also has two sections. One section, the Wall within the North and. the Wall of Yishui, built from 334BC to 311BC, was used to prevent the assault from the Qin, Zhao and Qi State. It extended about 250 kilometers (155 miles) from the foot of existing Mt. Taihangshan via Xushui and Anxin Counties, crossing XiongXian County and ended in Wen'an County in Hebei Province.
The other section lay in the North. It was constructed to prevent the invasion of nomadic people like the Donghu. This section of the wall constructed in 254BC, which was the last wall constructed in the Warring States Period. It ran via now the Zhangjiakou city of Hebei Province, Inner Mongolia, crossing Hebei Province, Chaoyang City of Liaoning Province and reached Liaoyang of Liaoning Province. Now you can find its site in above-mentioned cities and areas.
Ask a Question
