Today the Wall stretches 20,000 Km, but its exotic beauty has come at a great cost. How would you
know that millions of farmers, soldiers, prisoners had come together to accomplish it, and furthermore at least a
million died during this process? Throughout the construction of The Great Wall, there have been both good
times and bad times. We have cried and smiled. And at times it has made us proud,” he said in a heavy voice.
“
We have smiled at times when new things were invented at our banks like the wheelbarrow. It was
used by soldiers, prisoners, and farmers, to carry rice flour. When our Wall would give way to save us from the
attacks from the outsiders, we would smile. We used to smile when it gave birth to great architects, some so
brilliant in their work with such precise calculations that only one brick was left over in the end! A smile would
arise when Chinese architecture and spiritual wisdom would come together. We smiled as The Great Wall
became the cradle for so many civilizations like in the North to the Silk Road. We smiled as it brought new
strategies into play, like the beacon system which used smoke signals generated by burning wolf dung to give
news of the enemy’s movement to my army.” He spoke with a heavy voice, but as the wind flew between us, his
laugh lines and face tightened into a brooding face. Once he spoke again, the difference in his voice was that of
Earth and Heaven.
“
We have cried when millions of Chinese citizens died building this glorious structure. How the
farmers and soldiers had to carry rocks up using pivots and ropes which would easily break. I used to watch as
the blood of so many flowed into the cracks of the wall. It became the biggest cemetery in the world. We cried
when Earthquakes used to shatter our walls and kill thousands.”
He must have thought that we were getting bored so he gave a glimpse to our side, only to find that in
fact we both had our eyes staring at him in curiousity. What better way could there be to listen to the history of
the Great Wall than from an Emperor?
“
All was going well until the Barbarians came along. My own army also gave way to corruption when
the soldiers were bribed by the Manchu forces during 1640s. This allowed the Mongolians to conquer our land.
Still it has been a symbol of China, making every Chinese person proud of it for centuries.” He started walking
slowly to either side of the cave.
“
Yet now I don’t like the environment; now I don’t feel the same. I feel like a caged bird singing but
with no freedom. Everything has changed dramatically. Because of climate change and pollution in the cities,
many parts of the Great Wall have started eroding. Now if you look outside at the sky, thick smog of pollution
from the city-centers has settled in the air. Now you can see nothing more than a blurry sun rising to crown the
Great Wall. It might be from the toxic fireworks that the humans have emitted the whole of past night, or the
factories that released acids into the air, or even the million of cars that run in the city. Today they are building
railway lines by destroying parts of the Great Wall. I want it all to stop.” A tear appeared in his eyes, and he
suddenly looked up to us from the ground.
“
I have to go now, as you have released me from a curse. It was destined that you two birds would
come to release me from the evil forces. Previously you have been my memorable loyal soldiers. You have
served me throughout the centuries and therefore today I decide that in this lifetime you will live for a whole
century.” I looked at him astonished. Even human beings didn’t live for that long, let alone mere birds.
All this while as he was narrating, I hadn’t noticed that we didn’t know which emperor he was. I turned
back to look where he was standing, only to find that he was not there. We had released him from the curse and
so he must have flown away peacefully. While looking back though I noticed that the box was uncovered. I
decided to cover it, thinking that doing so would make his soul rest in peace. I went back and started putting it to
the right place. It wasn’t easy which Ana must have noticed as she came to help me. Together we placed it on
the right spot. As we were about to fly away, a piercing light blinded our eyes showcasing the letters E-M-P-E-
R-O-R Q-I-N S-H-I H-U-A-N-G.
----
This bird’s eye view reminds us that the vibrancy of our human lives, we should do everything to
protect this piece of history.
* * *