The Great Wall of China: History’s Biggest Barrier

Check out Squarespace: squarespace.com/geographics for 10% off on your first purchase.
→ Subscribe for new videos two times per week.
/ @geographicstravel
This video is #sponsored by Squarespace.
Our sister channels:
Biographics - / @biographics
TopTenz - / @toptenznettop10
Credits:
Host - Simon Whistler
Author - Morris M.
Producer - Jennifer Da Silva
Executive Producer - Shell Harris
Business inquiries to [e-mail]
Source/Further reading:
In Our Time BBC podcast: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00s...
Britannica: www.britannica.com/topic/Grea...
Ancient History Encyclopedia: www.ancient.eu/Great_Wall_of_...
National Geographic on the Ming Wall: www.nationalgeographic.com/hi...
Smithsonian: www.smithsonianmag.com/travel...
Timeline of the Great Wall: www.globalsecurity.org/milita...
Map of the Great Wall over various periods: upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...
Warring States Period with map: www.ancient.eu/Warring_States...
Han Dynasty explained: www.history.com/topics/ancien... #
Song Dynasty notes: www.khanacademy.org/humanitie...
The Great Wall’s name: discover.china.org.cn/idiscove...
Protecting the Wall: www.theguardian.com/world/200...
The Wall as a nationalist icon: books.google.cz/books?id=bYxl...
Useful timeline on all of China’s dynasties (in order): www.historyhit.com/the-dynast...
State of preservation today: www.npr.org/sections/parallel...

[@geographicstravel]

Check out Squarespace: squarespace.com/geographics for 10% off on your first purchase.

[@carlgrau5910]

Allegedly!!

[@igorshlepanov3852]

@@carlgrau5910 по. МММ не спит тдля лилтлл или щ л то и он так л тто л и щель до только лздзщь

[@tamasmihaly1]

This is History for opinionated British snobs who look at the past through the lens of modern ethics and morals. Simon is at least funny in Business Blaze where he plays an autistic ADHD sufferer or a strung-out tweeker.

[@aceminer26]

Hiya just a heads up the map on the tintagel video is wrong

[@bobgriffin423]

Well, depending upon your definition of biggest, if you mean longest, it might be the first time your researchers are in error. I thought it was commonly known that the dingo proof fence in Australia is the longest fence in the world. Admittedly, you might just be using the title as a'turn off phrase'. An equally relevant admission is that I don't have time to watch the video now, and you may have acknowledged in it that the great Wall is not the last fence in the world.

[@jondoe406]

Wait, the mongols took turns doing guard duty on the wall built to keep mongols out? 🤣🤣🤣

[@Chris-hx3om]

Yeah, I did notice that too. Definitely a 🤦‍♂🤦‍♂🤦‍♂🤦‍♂ moment...

[@DutchDread]

I feel like I've seen a monty python sketch like this

[@wesleymcglone6937]

Mexicans work the American side of border control.

[@grisslebear]

And thusly Karma gave birth to Irony.

[@xiaohuli27]

The Mongols weren't always united

[@SkinnerNoah]

10% in good shape is honestly impressive. The sheer size of the wall is insane

[@Dan16673]

Yup. The mountain peaks and valleys its goes through are insane. I walked 5km on it and was quite difficult

[@Reblwitoutacause]

10% in good shape is the best I can do for myself as well.

[@StegoAqua]

Mao: Use the wall as building material!

[@teergeret]

@@Reblwitoutacause that was a good one. And good for you too

[@TheFrogInYourClosetWatchingYou]

@@Dan16673 fake news... everyone knows the great wall of china is fake. It is government propaganda to lead the masses into believing we have really left Earth (we haven't) and to hide the fact that the Earth is flat.

[@robdon3472]

"You can blame the tang" I always do

[@greenkoopa]

I blame it on the alcohol

[@janbelcher1896]

Theta 32x I blame it on the sunlight, the moonlight, the good times and the boogy

[@greenkoopa]

@@janbelcher1896 well get down, turn around, go to town 🤔

[@darthXreven]

what did she do to you?? she broke your heart didn't she?? damn the tang, damn the tang straight to hell I say!!!! 😈

[@thomasjones8759]

The use of ‘dickhead’ has been fantastically used in this video 👌

[@nunyobidniz]

Not so much a swear-word, more like a sentence condiment.

[@QuestionEverythingButWHY]

“God created war so that Americans would learn geography.” ― Mark Twain

[@stephenwright8824]

"God created liquor so the Irish wouldn't take over the world." - Anonymous and traditional but only among Irish-Americans it appears.

[@nunyobidniz]

@Timothy McCaskey whale oil beef hooked, we got us an Irish pub!

[@somedude4805]

If God created war, it was for his own entertainment.

[@ALTAI38]

@@somedude4805 nope, war is gods tool to punish sinners. - genghis han

[@TheTARANISh]

@@stephenwright8824 "I have a few good reasons for drinking. And one has just entered my head. If a man can't drink when he's living. How the hell can he drink when he's dead?"

[@Machwiee]

"WE WILL BUILD A WALL AND MONGOLIA WILL PAY FOR IT" -Ancient Chinese Emperor

[@oneshothunter9877]

Hahaha! Good one! 😁

[@BergmitetheBlueandPointy0712]

Why nobody call the emperor racist when he build the wall ?

[@sundaywasabi]

@@BergmitetheBlueandPointy0712 How do you know that nobody called him a racist? I assume you weren't around back when the wall was built. ;)

[@Battledongus]

Trump will never be forgotten for that insanely stupid quote and the total failure to do so.

[@Battledongus]

@@texassoul7804 Texan calls people calling others racist "snowflakes" colour me surprised.

[@gregoryanto3673]

"The Great Wall of China is surrounded by more misconceptions than the use of face masks during a pandemic" Simon you are simply awesome. 👌

[@--enyo--]

You don't know what he thinks is a misconception, though. ;)

[@tjsingh8491]

@@--enyo-- It's people thinking they shouldn't have to wear a mask in public... are you stupid?

[@hughstewart547]

@@tjsingh8491 well clearly you are.

[@JustanOlGuy]

He is a gift, really!

[@gregoryanto3673]

@@--enyo-- And it is precisely that wit that makes him and this line so awesome. 😉

[@iantinley2779]

I've been to the great wall, not the nice part of it. The local government let my group (in 2010, with 5 American college students and a Chinese born professor) camp out on it overnight. It was pretty neat, and I got to find out a couple people of my group were very afraid of the ghosts of the workers killed building the wall.

[@andrewcunningham129]

Ian Tinley and his group were killed by The Great Wall Ghosts in 2010. This post was written by his poltergeist.

[@kazic284]

The school wasn't in North Carolina was it?

[@Galaar]

Whenever Simon asks about how confident I am in what I know about a topic, I know I'm about to realize how little I actually know about it. I also loved the snark about masks during a pandemic.

[@stadtbekanntertunichtgut]

Ancient china: Build that wall!!!! Build that wall!!!!!

[@robdon3472]

Wow blowing my mind right off the bat. Totally thought it was just one long unbroken wall

[@darthsilversith667]

Same! And I was also one of the ones that thought it was only 700-900 years old (built to keep the mongols out). But honestly, seeing how it has many over-lapping areas.. it’s far more formidable than I ever imagined.

[@trojanette8345]

Simon, you and your staff didn't just have an "interesting story" you also gave your audience a wonderfully written, and very beautiful script. The writing on this one was phenomenal!! Truly a work of art unto itself.

[@QuestionEverythingButWHY]

"Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." --Confucius

[@pyromania1018]

"You change your mind about book? Oh no..." ~Confucius

[@nel9357]

That is where Rocky got it from🤔😁👍

[@nont18411]

Confucius is Batman confirmed

[@garyg9164]

Ask any Aussie, and they will tell you that the reason they built the Great Wall of China, was to keep the rabbits out.

[@BadBed1982]

I cant believe you brought up that ad. I just saw that again today in a trivia contest at work (I work for the company that ad was promoting)

[@mortified776]

Can't believe Simon neglected to mention the glorious reign of Emperor Nasi Goreng!

[@--enyo--]

Too many rabbits... in China...

[@tubester4567]

wow, China must be racist!! They built a wall to keep immigrants out!!

[@mortified776]

@@dianneforit5409 Haha! Yeah their night shows are pretty feral.

[@remingtonshipton3608]

love waking up and seeing a new geo/biographics, Today's gonna be a good day :)

[@Overworkedandunderpaid]

Yup

[@jamespalmer178]

Funny thing, in my country it's 4.30 pm (relative to your time of comment). So I'm like : Wow dude that's quite a time to wake up! :)

[@thejoker-wu1sp]

@@jamespalmer178 it's 12 pm here I wish I was in your country so I'd be off already...at least I can listen to this with my phone in my construction helmet 😆

[@seanbrazell6147]

You and me both!

[@stephaniek8922]

Simon's calming voice is literally what I fall asleep to every night. It's like a kid getting told a good night story!!

[@BigBenLB]

My favourite part of the Great Wall is the small section they built a ski area next too. I spent a winter running ski classes there for local kids, so imagine being paid to toboggan down the Pyramids of Giza on a daily basis and you get the idea of what is what felt like to carve turns around one of the greatest structures ever built by man

[@maryjanedodo]

Crazy that it goes from deserts to snow

[@taskdon769]

A few things about the wall: 1. The actual purpose of Ming wall is not blocking the raiders, rather it is meant to slow down the raiders. The wall in quite a few parts are not connected but rather built on some key gaps between mountain range. The real purpose of the wall was served as scout towers that can easily sending signals to other posts notifying them of incoming threats. Troops on the wall are not meant to defend against the raiders but rather to chase after them once they pass through the wall. 2. The current design of the wall has a prototype in Zhejiang province. General Qi experienced the wall building against Japanese pirates. 3. The west end of the wall gate's original design was a thing of genius but never built as planned due to the budget crisis of Ming. It was supposedly be a maze like gate which will force anyone in-and-out take extra long steps to get around it meanwhile giving time for guards setting up their defensive positions.

[@64standardtrickyness]

Great Comment sad it's getting buried by all the wall don't work Mongols invaded 1000 years later spam.

[@kathgibbs2881]

Simon: The Life of Zhu Yuangzhang would make an excellent 25 minute video in and of itself, you know if someone were to have a KZbin channel all about biographies. Who could that be? Me: 😂😂😂

[@MrFreddyFartface]

My word, being able to switch between wall guard and herder, with friends on both sides of a giant monument of a wall, that's one the most romantic ways of life I've heard of in a long time

[@leojei]

16:13 Absolutely correct on the "usefulness" of the primary purpose of the wall -- it was never designed to mitigate the intention of malice from within. The Qing people came right through the wall simply because the doors were literally opened by a traitor within the Ming side.

[@ignitionfrn2223]

1:45 - Chapter 1 - Fact from fiction 5:05 - Chapter 2 - The wall begins 8:15 - Chapter 3 - A symbol of what ? 11:40 - Mid roll ads 13:15 - Chapter 4 - Build the wall 16:25 - Chapter 5 - What's in a name ? 19:05 - Chapter 6 - Upheaval

[@LtColShingSides]

Next on MegaProjects! The Great Wall of China!

[@kriswright5112]

"The tentacles are coming straight towards Earth and there's no stopping them. King Kong's too old to save us this time!" -- Richard Nixon's head

[@blackout9112]

Arrooooo

[@georgeprchal3924]

Here's all the money on Earth, and this Damn-Well better work!

[@robinderoos1166]

Just create a giant anime girl to distract the tentacles, then nuke em

[@MichaelBrandonMcCartney]

"Every time Chinese try and buird a wall, god damn Mongorians come and knock it down!" Southpark City Wok

[@BAGG8BAGG]

Came looking for this comment :)

[@MichaelBrandonMcCartney]

@@BAGG8BAGG I found my nobody lifes reason for being, if only for a moment. Did I feed, clothe, send a kid in Africa to school for less than a $1 a day or cure cancer? Nope, I made City Wok's Great Wall Mongorian comment for someone seeking it. I can now rest easy!

[@unbrokenbeatrecs]

Simon I have newfound respect for you after hearing your use of the word 'dickhead'. Truly made my day 😂

[@terryts2]

Today’s my birthday and I couldn’t ask for a better start to it. Thank you Simon

[@insertname1014]

Not going to lie, mega popped for the WWE reference

[@awzthemusicalreviews]

Same, right up until I realized they don't understand the rules of the Royal Rumble lol shit, knocking a guy out with a chair makes your job more difficult, because that's dead weight you're having to throw over the top. Still popped, tho.

[@Apis4]

"History’s Biggest Barrier" : The Dingo Fence wants to have a word with you.

[@RushVidz44]

Australia doesnt count. Yall keeping out the outback 😂

[@Apis4]

@@RushVidz44 Emus and Dingoes actually..... Dingoes eats teh bebbies..... and we have a already suffered in the first War with the Emus. Now we have teh mitey fense!!!!!!!

[@darthsilversith667]

I’ve never heard of this before!

[@Apis4]

@@darthsilversith667 Its the longest man made barrier in the world, way longer than the Great Wall of China

[@codylindley3477]

He said “it wasn’t even the wall’s final form” I love this guy.

[@albertwong1031]

I wanna share something here about the Great Wall of China, during the reign of the Kangxi Emperor, a official reported about the Great Wall in a bad condition and suggesting it to be repaired, but Kangxi replied that there is no need to repair the Great Wall, as the people's heart is more greater and effective than any wall in the world. Till now, Kangxi Emperor has been ranked as one of those top emperors in Chinese history for his achievement.

[@cassandraralph5906]

I learned something new today, I loved this video! Thank you so sharing this video with us!

[@jenniferpoffenroth9926]

Great information and I really enjoy the humor. Thank you for the morning entertainment with my coffee! :)

[@chemBTW]

This is the best video I could find on The Great Wall. You're frickin awesome Simon. Thank you

[@jdiding88]

Simon, love the channel and videos but your office and filming area looks super interesting as well, would love to see a video about your set ! keep it up and thank you !

[@bronxer78]

“Besides a blessing from the best character on Futurama”‼️🤣

[@Mansini77]

Biographics of Chiang Kai-shek please

[@Ruby321123]

Wow, I can't believe they haven't already done that one! Definitely!

[@stephenwright8824]

@@Ruby321123 He's done Ho Chi Minh, but not Ngo Dinh Diem (or Emperor Bao Dai) yet. I'd like to see Biographics on them *and* one on Michael Collins, the genius Irish patriot.

[@Sorcerers_Apprentice]

Also, Sun Yat-Sen, the Father of Modern China.

[@3LLT33]

@@Sorcerers_Apprentice YES!

[@davidringle7]

Always great thank you Simon

[@lukasjansen1815]

Warring states period: "This is the ultimate showdown, of ultimate destiny... good guys bad guys and explosions, as far as the eyes can see. And only one will survive, I wonder who it will be..."

[@CRLFNKL]

*slow clap*

[@Jeremy-ys7dg]

Thanks for the vids

[@WavyHippie420]

Tighten up mate, ya "Business Blaze" is showing 👍🏾

[@rationalmusicstudios5724]

Great video! I grew up not far from the Great Wall (the part near Beijing), but I really had no idea about half of this stuff. Thanks 😊 for this!

[@counterfeitsaint7479]

Gonna keep posting this on all the Geographics videos. You should do Padmanabhaswamy Temple in India, unpronounceable name not withstanding. The single largest concentration of gold on the planet was recently found in 5 out of the 6 underground vaults, some estimates put it at over a trillion dollars. The final vault hasn't been opened in centuries and no one knows for sure what is inside it. It also has the spookiest looking door I've ever seen.

[@daviddenekamp5790]

Great video Simon! 💜

[@Erie685]

Great well-written video and presentation by Simon as always. But oh my god the amount of ads that played!

[@AnyoneCanSee]

IDEA FOR MEGAPROJECTS - Sagrada Família was started in 1882 and they are still building it. It is also basically not just a building but a giant work of art. There is nothing in the world like it and the fact that it is still under construction after 140 years. Construction stopped because of the pandemic which is the first time it stopped since Spanish Civil war. I think there's a hell of lot of impressive facts.

[@joeleaver875]

Everyone send Simon love his videos are the maddest and he puts so much effort in to them

[@zahrans]

Spring & Autumn period: *BUILD THAT WALL! BUILD THAT WALL!*

[@oldfarmshow]

Thank you for your videos

[@edylcnostrebor9722]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us all

[@au009044]

As always, great video.

[@THEOtherWicKedViKing]

I got your Squarespace ad followed by youtube ad. I am so happy to learn that the wall is older then I was told

[@Z-ManTheOriginal]

The Great wall is an absolute wonder of the world. I have seen it up close and personally walking on it it is amazing. Always good to know the historic background to it. Had no damn idea other walls were built.

[@toniodmonio]

This is absolutely brilliant. So much better than in the “official history” books

[@Russo-Delenda-Est]

I expected this on megaprojects, but this is good too! 🙂👍

[@KrazeeClark]

I’ve fallen into a “Whistler” vortex and I CAN’T GET OUT!

[@StCrimson667]

I actually walked on the Giant Wall back in November (No, no Corona, we were a long way from Wuhan), my brother and I climbed as high as we could and, let me tell you, it is STEEP in some places! Some of those steps are so tall, we can to sit on them and pull our legs up because we couldn't stretch our legs enough and, by the time we got to the top, we were completely exhausted. I could never imagine having to walk up and down a hundred time ever single day like those soldiers had to or even like the people who work at the gift shop we found at the top had to.

[@bendedikte2]

Thanks, Simon, for another fascinating video, sprinkled with a good dose of humor😁

[@RankinMsP]

Simon: The Great Wall of China, History's biggest barrier Great Wall of Benin: Am I a joke to you?

[@callum1855]

Educational and made me laugh ! Subbed

[@Cam1n1t1]

Simon is David Attenborough Jr. I can’t wait for him to narrate Blue Planet 4 or 5.

[@multiyapples]

Very informative.

[@johnharristheblackrogue1914]

Simon is the absolute greatest host period!

[@IAmKenkira]

Heavily appreciate your wrestling metaphors, sir.

[@travispoettcker1078]

Dude 🤣😅😂 you totally killed this one, I died laughing a couple of times. Minus a million . . .🤣😅😂🤣🤣😂

[@Corristo89]

Build that wall! Build that wall! Build that wall!

[@nolanbrown84]

Stone mason upon setting final brick: "There!! Now we'll see if that dog can get in here!!" Cr. Gary Larsen, Far Side Comic

[@skyden24195]

how about when the Mongol rode his horse into the wall then thought, "Where did that come from?" Gary Larsen again.

[@ComaDave]

There it is. My weary search is at an end. Nicely done.

[@Binary84]

The Manchu's didn't just broke the wall per se lol. The general in charge of a section of the wall, Wu Sangui opened the gate for the Manchu because the Ming Dynasty at that point had lost the mandate of heaven. The rebels (not allied with the Manchu) broke into the capital city and the Emperor committed suicide. Wu Sangui at that time is faced with enemies from both sides so he chose to allied with the Manchu to get rid of the rebels. The wall serves some very strategic purposes. Since most nomads fight on horseback using hit and run tactics, the walls prevented them from raiding deeper into the settlements.

[@j.a.weishaupt1748]

Morris M. + Simon Whistler = perfection.

[@Benson_aka_devils_advocate_88]

I've got big Walls I've got big Walls They're such big Walls And they're dirty big Walls And he's got big Walls And she's got big Walls (But we've got the biggest Walls of them all)

[@Customwinder1]

Fly on the Wall !

[@henriqueoliveira3872]

A video about germania the city that Hitler wanted to build would be awesome!! Love your biographics and geographics channel! Great content and great delivery!

[@pellehyltoft7771]

excellent work Simon. I only got this to ad: Under the Qin dynasty. With Qin Shi Huang as emperor. He used that wall like an colossal mass grave for scholars, historians and sages. Who did not fit in his own cultural revolution. For he wished to change the Chinese history litterally. By burning all their bamboo history rolls. with a very high succes rate and only let them who agreed with him. That the Chinese history started with. Qin Shi Huangs unification of China would survive. But as we can see today. Some fragments of the ancient Chinese history survive any way.

[@khyvich]

Yay mention of Ausitn, Texas. Simon, you know I've bren watching ;)

[@QueenCaitiePie]

Talking about the Great Wall of China and a WWE Royal Rumble gets mentioned! Just one of the many reasons I love these!!

[@ghostofluck1811]

May I respectfully request a video on the Grand Canyon?

[@skyden24195]

That'll be on the next "Megastructures." ;-)

[@nunyobidniz]

Seconded! All in favour?

[@haldanesghost]

Royal Rumble reference. Simon is a force

[@Urmum3469]

I love these videos because I'm weird and like a lot of things kids my age dont. Anyways great work on all of these. I'd like to ask if you could do a video on Lake george in upstate New York. It has a lot of geological and war history with it.

[@ignitionfrn2223]

Trump " We need to build a wall" Pyonyang : Hold my tea... (sake is japanese)

[@angelitabecerra]

13:16 I'd love a video on Zhu Yuanzhang if you're willing to do one (and haven't yet done so) on your Biographies channel (still making my way through all your back catalog on most of your channels).

[@stephenwodz7593]

If you visit Beijing, DO NOT visit the Great Wall at its nearest point to the city; there are too many tourists to make it an enjoyable experience. Travel a few hours away to see the wall at a more distant point, such as Mutianyu.

[@marcoreus3091]

Could you do a video about Liu Bowen, one of the advisors to Zhu Yuan Zhang? Thank you!

[@southernboy7791]

Hooray! Now Simon speaks Metric ( about time). That makes the whole experience much more enjoyable, thank you guys!

[@isaacsturdevant9825]

15:50, I laughed so hard at the quote. 😂

[@BlueRoses345]

Please please please please do a Geographics of the silk road!

[@martytu20]

Fun fact- The Qing never managed to get through the Great Wall. The Ming already fell to Li Zicheng's Shun. The general guarding the section against the Manchus, Wu Sangui, was being attacked by Li Zicheng and had to ask the Manchus to help him. Prince regent Dorgon's Chinese advisors urged him to seize the opportunity to claim the Mandate and march to Beijing under pretext "to avenge the previous emperor". Wu Sangui allied with the Manchu and opened the gate into China proper. The Great wall did manage to repel both the Manchus and the rebel Shun. It just didn't save the Ming from internal collapse.

[@automechs360]

While you are doing the Apollo program on megaprojects please do two videos here about the two cities that did the research and design work, Huntsville Alabama and Houston Texas.

[@ObiWanCannabi]

5:24 i hear the Hertfordshire in your voice for the first time lol

[@robertdjohnstone]

please sort out the audio editing on the title splash sequence, the jingle came through my speakers so hard that I was blasted into the front garden

[@imsoemo2234]

I liked the vid, you should do Barnenez or worlds oldest buildings.

[@mediabox8280]

Hey Simon, Have you considered doing a MegaProject on The Great Wall?

[@EyesOfByes]

0:30 *That's what she said...*

[@Rr-qz5rc]

Ahhh I’ve been moving and haven’t been able to watch KZbin, I really missed this channel

[@Tsukiyomi001]

Do the great canals of the Sui Dynasty, it's a ginormous project connecting the yellow River and chang jiang.

[@mauricedavis2160]

Appreciate your brutal honesty, on humanities darker side!!! ✨🙌

[@loupiscanis9449]

Thank you

[@mike04574]

Do more episodes about the planets like you did on Pluto

[@tatimg6129]

I think Simon is getting his scripts mixed up I expect Geographics and get Megaprojects.

[@AnnaAnna-uc2ff]

Thanks

[@TheRivieraKid]

Not seen “Today i found out” in a long time, how many channels does Simon have now? Is TIFO still a thing?

[@jvillan94]

The parallels are uncanny. Yet ppl still manage to repeat history.