The Great Wall – What is it?
Fion Tse, Gr
he Great Wall of China is a Wonder of the Medieval World. It is frequented by tourists and locals, who
view it as a precious relic. Is it just bricks created during the Qian Dynasty by the blood and bones of
men? How do those directly involved see it? Let’s hear them out…
Emperor Qi
oup 2: Fiction, Diocesan Girls' Junior School
n (Shi Huangti)
They just do not understand. I did it for my people. The Wall had been half-done anyways when I
united the warring states. Why not finish something half-finished? It would protect my people, save them from
an eternity of ghastly wars. A war would have probably taken more lives and sufferings. China had a long, long
strain of terrible tyrants who had started protracted and bloody battles. Having defeated them all and united the
country, I am determined to be a savior of my people, to be remembered for bringing longlasting peace. The
barbarians in the northwest are forever restless, greedy and ambitious. They envy the warm weather and rich soil
in central China. My people and I need to have the Great Wall as a sentry to stay vigilant. There is no other way
to have the disjointed walls linked up except through hard labour. The work has to be done by male peasants,
since the women and children aren't strong enough, and the soldiers have to be on guard in case the barbarians
attack us before the Wall is complete. Personally, I feel I have made a heroic choice. I sacrifice my popularity.
Numerous wives, children and parents will end up with no husbands, fathers and sons. My people suffer greatly,
some die, some get maimed and all hate me. Though nobody appreciates my act now, I wouldn't give up. It is
all for a better cause, I tell myself repeatedly. Children’s children of those who lose their lives or limbs in
building the Great Wall will love me because I bring them lasting peace. Great leaders must think long term …
T
A Peasant-Worker in Qin Dynasty
It's all his fault, that selfish crook of Shi Huangti. His fault that we're here, slaving away in this graveyard.
He doesn't care at all for our lives! All he ever thinks about is power, which will bring him more money, women
and decadent pursuits. It's just not fair! When wars come, we become conscripted soldiers. When wars end, we
all end up having to pay high taxes and work for whoever the ruler may be, without pay. Shi Huangti has excess
food and wine while we starve, every year. I farm just barely enough grain to keep my family of five alive. I
was toiling in my tiny plot of lean land when soldiers took me forcibly away to build this damned Wall. My
wife is pregnant with our fourth child. My first child is sickly. I still haven’t paid off the debt incurred to pay for
the medicines for my wife and child … Half of the people I work alongside are dead, and I fear I may be next.
My weary arms can no longer bear the heavy bricks and endure the stinging slashes of the whips. But I must
persevere, for the sake of my family. I must! Oh, how I long to see the birth of my youngest … Is my wife
strong enough to till the land? On what will my family live? Will I return home alive?
The Qin General cum Superintendant of Works
Tales of terror have been passed down, and I will not deny them: every word is true. I have whipped my
fellow citizens, but not for fun or entertainment. There is no entertainment here. The whips are for lazy workers.
If everyone worked harder, then this ordeal would end sooner, and everyone could go home earlier. These
peasants aren't the only ones separated from their families! I, too, have been away from my family for five solid
years … But I’ve never complained. I am a soldier serving my country, and with great pride too, even though
my arms ache, my throat is sore and my voice, coarse. If I should fall ill, I’ll have one foot in my grave! I know
that the labourers hate me for my whips, for my merciless discharge of duty. The Emperor is impatient and very
demanding – sometimes I wish he were less so. I don’t like the Emperor as a person. He inspires fear. But I
admire him, his bravery and his vision. He says that he wants the Great Wall built for better military defence. I
suspect his ambition of having his descendants succeeding the throne to be a strong motivator too but
nonetheless, the Great Wall, when completed, will be of miraculous value in warding off the barbarians from the
north. The barbarians are callous and blood-thirsty – I tremble with fear when the mere thought of facing them
on battlefields crosses my mind. Linking up the disjointed walls into the Great Wall is a patriotic act. Never
mind the labourers – they are just lowly peasants and the mission of serving the motherland is beyond them. We
should have been honored to receive this duty, and not grunt and grumble like lazy pigs. We may be tired to the
bone and sick with our face sallow, but we must stand proud to serve our beloved country!
Our Own Great Wall?
Every one of us has our own 'Great Wall'. Unlike the ancient Chinese, we may not be subjected to forced
labour and misery. But like the ancient Chinese, we are faced with moral dilemmas. We have to think hard and
make difficult choices. It will occasionally necessitate pain, grief and sacrifice. Our 'Great Walls' may not be
physical. They may be blockages of the mind when we fail to appreciate that different persons will view the
same thing very differently. We must learn to be more empathetic and less self-centred.
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