Did the rivers and mountains influence where landmarks were built, who by and when?
Barriers of Ancient China
China is nearly completely surrounded by natural barriers. To the North is The Gobi Desert and the rolling plains of Mongolia. Vast expanses of the Pacific Ocean are to the East. Ragged mountain ranges and dense, steamy jungles to the South and the highest mountains on the earth "The Himalayas" are to the West. Within the barriers lie fertile land of rivers, forests, grasslands and hills containing natural resources. The geography allowed Ancient China to develop a unique civilisation.
Mountains & Rivers
The melting snow of the Himalayas created the headwaters for two of China's most important rivers: The Yellow River and The Yangzi River. The Yellow River gets it's name because of the yellow wind borne clay dust called loess, that is blown across the north of China from the steppes of Central Asia. The loess is blown into the river and gives it a yellow appearance. The Yangzi River is the longest river in China and the third longest in the world. The Yangzi River supplies water to the rice growing regions in the south of China. The Himalayas are the highest mountain ranges in the world. The mountains reach up to 8,848 meters in height and the tallest mountain in the world, "Mount Everest" lies within the Himalayas.
The Great Wall of China
The creator of the Great Wall of China was Qin Shi Huang and was created before the Qin Dynasty when a series of smaller walls had been built to defend against attacks from foreign tribes, 206BC. The walls were joined together, strengthened, extended and raised in height to improve it's defense against the foreign tribes. The wall is 8,851 km (5,500 miles) long, including the parts of the wall which cannot be walked upon.
China is nearly completely surrounded by natural barriers. To the North is The Gobi Desert and the rolling plains of Mongolia. Vast expanses of the Pacific Ocean are to the East. Ragged mountain ranges and dense, steamy jungles to the South and the highest mountains on the earth "The Himalayas" are to the West. Within the barriers lie fertile land of rivers, forests, grasslands and hills containing natural resources. The geography allowed Ancient China to develop a unique civilisation.
Mountains & Rivers
The melting snow of the Himalayas created the headwaters for two of China's most important rivers: The Yellow River and The Yangzi River. The Yellow River gets it's name because of the yellow wind borne clay dust called loess, that is blown across the north of China from the steppes of Central Asia. The loess is blown into the river and gives it a yellow appearance. The Yangzi River is the longest river in China and the third longest in the world. The Yangzi River supplies water to the rice growing regions in the south of China. The Himalayas are the highest mountain ranges in the world. The mountains reach up to 8,848 meters in height and the tallest mountain in the world, "Mount Everest" lies within the Himalayas.
The Great Wall of China
The creator of the Great Wall of China was Qin Shi Huang and was created before the Qin Dynasty when a series of smaller walls had been built to defend against attacks from foreign tribes, 206BC. The walls were joined together, strengthened, extended and raised in height to improve it's defense against the foreign tribes. The wall is 8,851 km (5,500 miles) long, including the parts of the wall which cannot be walked upon.