The Great Wall Revelation
Fion Tse, Gr
he Great Wall has seen significant turmoil for over two thousand years from internal atrocities to
external encroachment. It drips with bloodshed, humiliation and desperation. It is where millions of
lives were extinguished and families destroyed. Still, the Great Wall captures our imaginations and the
legend has given rise to innumerable movies that portray – or fabricate – historical incidents.
Standing
oup 2: Fiction, Diocesan Girls' Junior School
in front of Shanhaiguan, I was looking up the Great Wall with admiration and awe. It was a
Sunday evening. Dad was invited by some of his mainland Chinese friends to attend a cocktail party on one part
of the Great Wall; dress code – Formal Chinese. This was the first time that both Mom and I put on a qipao and
Dad, a changshan. To be honest, however, I cared little about what people were wearing. Instead, I was
impressed by the grandiose view when I looked out towards the north – a landscape stretching thousands of
kilometres, mountains after mountains as far as the eye can see. While contemplating the lands that might lie
beyond the horizon, I wondered what had happened during the Warring State Period when all seven independent
kingdoms were fighting against each other, striving for absolute power and hegemony.
T
“
Great news from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs this afternoon!” announced the gentleman who was
standing next to my father. “We have successfully crippled the Japanese economy by prohibiting export of rare
earth!” A salvo of cheers and applause suddenly erupted, breaking the monotonous atmosphere.
With my limited knowledge, I didn’t understand the message at once. “Is there any relationship between
the Great Wall and the termination of trade between China and Japan?’ I murmured to myself. Before I knew it,
I had entered a trance-like state of meditation because I couldn’t get my confused thoughts out of my mind. But
then, Uncle Qin, Dad’s friend, patted my shoulder.
“
I have been paying attention on you for a long while. You seem to be puzzled by the news,” he inquired.
“
Yes, I just care to know why all the guests felt so jubilant when the news was announced?” I implored.
“
Young lady, you should know about the Diaoyu Islands incident. Japanese deliberately declared their
sovereignty over the islands, disregarding historical evidence of China’s possession. To protect China’s political
interests, our government has to respond with force to Japan’s unlawful actions. Instead of military conflict, the
government has employed a better strategy to reprimand Japan: a ban towards exporting rare earth. Through this,
we have achieved our goal to handicap the Japanese technology industry which relies on rare earth materials in
manufacturing computers and digital accessories. Today, while we are standing on this Great Wall – a symbol of
China’s power, pride and perseverance, we must not forget that our nation has struggled through flood, famine,
adversities, wars and tragedies. Since the last twenty years, we have seen China gradually evolve into a modern,
prosperous and stable state. Nevertheless, there are countries out there that are jealous about our progress and
opulence. They are making every effort to aggravate our internal conflicts and dampen our external influence, so
as to defer our economic growth!” Uncle Qin’s tone was stern and it was clear that he was very passionate about
this issue.
“
Uncle Qin, thanks for offering me such a detailed clarification,” I acknowledged with appreciation but still
felt that the complexities of international relations were beyond my reach.
Now I was peering at the zigzag path that leads all the way to the end of the Wall. ‘It resembles the body of
a dragon!’ This idea unexpectedly popped out from my mind. The seven warlord kingdoms two thousand years
ago used brute force and violence as means to achieve power and stability; as a result, The Great Wall was built
as a fortress to defend ourselves from intruders. As we have become more educated and sophisticated, we have
moved onto using our wits to compete and dominate our enemies in a more civilized way – the economic
sanction.
“
You see, young lady, we are an ancient nation that has preserved its culture, tradition and most importantly,
its civilization through language and written records. The Great Wall is not just an old ruin that used to keep out
invaders in the past. It’s a symbol of the strength, the hardship, the ingenuity and the persistence of the Chinese
people. Our ancestors did not fail us; and we should not fail our next generation and all the generations that
follow. Put that in mind. The Great Wall is always here, and this image will stay with you forever,” Uncle Qin
emphasized with a sincere voice. “In the meantime, I need a favour from you. You are your dad’s beloved
daughter so you must convince him to bid for the two million tress planation project. That will cover the barren
area just adjacent to the Great Wall. Desertification is becoming irrevocably serious, so we’ve got to take action
immediately!”
A flash of smoke drifted in front of me. Then, Uncle Qin vanished.
“
Sweetheart, I’ve been looking for you everywhere.” Dad approached me, looking unusually solemn. “I
want you to meet …………”