Group Activity Game - 7 Wonders of the Ancient Chinese World - My Top 5

Ok, after all that hype about the new seven wonders and the controversies about the original ancient wonders and the pyramids not being on the new seven wonders, let's play a game of our own.

As discussed over tea and biscuits at the SG Science Center last Saturday, we'll see if we can put together our own list of Seven wonders of the Ancient Chinese world.

We want to get the top Seven wonders of the Ancient Chinese world based popular opinion here within our group.

We'll define the "Ancient Chinese" world the Tang dynasty and older, ie. A.D.907 and older.

The wonder doesn't have to exist anymore, so long as you can show that it once existed.

We'll use the UNESCO 10 point definition for a world wonder as a guide for our game.

1) to represent a masterpiece of human creative genius;

2) to exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design;

3) to bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared;

4) to be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history;

5) to be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea-use which is representative of a culture (or cultures), or human interaction with the environment especially when it has become vulnerable under the impact of irreversible change;

6) to be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance. (The Committee considers that this criterion should preferably be used in conjunction with other criteria);

7) to contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance;

8) to be outstanding examples representing major stages of earth's history, including the record of life, significant on-going geological processes in the development of landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features;

9) to be outstanding examples representing significant on-going ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, fresh water, coastal and marine ecosystems and communities of plants and animals;

10) to contain the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation."

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If you want to play, do the following;
1. create a blog on your multiply page labelled "7 Wonders of the Ancient Chinese World - My Top 5" (Just choose 5.  We'll select the top 7 after collecting everyone's posts)
2. carefully select what you think is your top three choices for inclusion in the list.
3. support your selection with pictures (where possible), and a short paragraph or two to explain what it is and why you support it.
4. go explore other people's blogs with the same title and discuss their selections with them.
5. defend your choices from other players
6. feel free to amend and change your selections after discussion with other people
7. when sufficient people have played and have selected their top 5 wonders, we'll end the game and collect the votes and hopefully, put together the top 7 Wonders of the Ancient Chinese World.

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Ok, since I'm also playing, I'll also post my top three here.....

.... researching ....

.... researching ....

My preliminary selections....

1. 大石桥 Great Stone Bridge
Oldest Segmental Arch Bridge in the World
A.D. 610

A conceptual breakthrough occurred when a Chinese engineer realized that an arch did not have to be a semi-circle. A bridge could be built which was based not on the traditional semi-circular arch but on what is known as a segmental arch. The way to envisage this is to imagine a gigantic circle embedded in the ground, of which only the tip shows above ground level. This tip is a segment of a circle, and the arch it forms is a segmental arch. Bridges built in this way take less material and are stronger than ones built as semi-circular arches.

This advance took place in China in the seventh century AD. It was the concept of Li Chun, the founder of an entire school of constructional engineering whose influence lasted for many centuries. We are fortunate that his first great bridge, built in 610, survives intact and is still very much in use today. Called the Great Stone Bridge, it spans the Jiao river near Zhaoxian at the foot of the Shanxi Mountains on the edge of the North China Plain.

Four small whole arches were incorporated within the structure of the main bridge. They were an innovation of great consequence in bridgebuilding, for they were the world's first arched spandrels. Li Chun found that by punching these holes in the ends of the bridge he could accomplish several things at once: flood waters could rush through them, lessening the chance that the main bridge would be swept away at its supports in a sudden flood; the total weight of the bridge could be lessened, thereby diminishing the tendency to buckle by the ends sinking down into the river banks; and vast quantities of material could be saved, which would normally have gone to make solid ends for the bridge.

The Great Stone Bridge has a span of 37.5 metres. The largest surviving Roman whole arch bridge, the Pont Saint Martin near Aosta, spans 35.5 metres. But the average whole arch Roman bridge spanned between 18 and 25 metres, whereas whole arches in Roman aqueducts had an average span of about 6 metres.


2. 大运河 Grand Canal
ca. 5th century B.C. - 7th century A.D.

The Grand Canal of China is the world's oldest and longest canal, far surpassing the next two grand canals of the world: Suez and Panama Canal.  It passes through the cities of Beijing and Tianjin and the provinces of Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang. The oldest parts of the canal date back to the 5th century BC.

The building of the canal began in 486 B.C. during the Wu Dynasty. It was extended during the Qi Dynasty, and later by Emperor Yangdi of Sui Dynasty during six years of furious construction from 605-610 AD. 

The canal is 1,795 km (1,114 miles) long with 24 locks and some 60 bridges.

3. 长城 Qin Great Wall
ca. 220 - 200 B.C.

The Chinese were already familiar with the techniques of wall-building by the time of the Spring and Autumn Period, which began around the 8th century BC. During the Warring States Period from the 5th century BC to 221 BC, the states of Qi, Yan and Zhao all constructed extensive fortifications to defend their own borders. Built to withstand the attack of small arms such as swords and spears, these walls were made mostly by stamping earth and gravel between board frames.

Qin Shi Huang conquered all opposing states and unified China in 221 BC, establishing the Qin Dynasty. Intending to impose centralized rule and prevent the resurgence of feudal lords, he ordered the destruction of the wall sections that divided his empire along the former state borders. To protect the empire against intrusions by the Xiongnu people from the north, he ordered the building of a new wall to connect the remaining fortifications along the empire's new northern frontier. Transporting the large quantity of materials required for construction was difficult, so builders always tried to use local resources. Stones from the mountains were used over mountain ranges, while rammed earth was used for construction in the plains. There are no surviving historical records indicating the exact length and course of the Qin Dynasty walls. Most of the ancient walls have eroded away over the centuries, and very few sections remain today. Later, the Han, Sui, Northern and Jin dynasties all repaired, rebuilt, or expanded sections of the Great Wall at great cost to defend themselves against northern invaders.

4. Qin Shihuang's 12 Bronze Statues
ca. 221 B.C.

After unifying China, the Emperor set about disarming his former enemies.  He ordered his subordinates to collect and confiscate weapons from all over China, where he had them melted down and recast into huge statues. There were 12 of those bronze statues; curiously, they were made to resemble strange giant humanoid creatures sighted in 221 BCE in Lingtiao.  These were his monument to peace.

5. Baosi's Tower to the Stars
ca. 1046 B.C.

The King of Shang, desperate to impress his favourite concubine, begun the construction of a "Tower to the Stars" because Baosi wanted to touch the stars. The empire was mobilised into the greatest construction project the country had ever seen. The Imperial treasury was emptied to build the tower. But still, Baosi did not smile.

On day the king took Baosi to Lishan Mountains west of Xian. Hoping to please Baosi, the king ordered the alarm beacon fire lit. The beacons relayed across the country, lighting one after another summoning the vassal lords from the ends of the empire to the aid of the King. When the vassal troops gathered at the foot of Lishan they found no sign nor sound of battle. Turning to head home, the gathered army left, very angry at the king, but for the first time since entering the King's palace, Baosi found this hilarious and laughed! King You was so pleased that after that he took Baosi often to Lishan to light the beacon fire. Baosi laughed and smiled as she watched the beacons light up in relay and the vassal armies gathered time and again, until they stopped coming.

6. Anlan Suspension Bridge, Dujiangyan
World's oldest "true" suspension bridge
ca. A.D. 300

First constructed ca. A.D. 300, the Anlan Suspension Bridge crosses the Minjiang River bestriding the water of the Inner Canal and Outer Canal to connect Erwang Temple with the Dujiangyan Irrigation System. Anlan Suspension Bridge has been around since ancient times, when it was known as Zhupu Bridge. During the Song Dynasty, it was rebuilt and called Pingshi Bridge. Pingshi Bridge was destroyed in the war at the end of Ming Dynasty.

A new bridge was built to replace it during the eighth year of Jiaqing Reign, during the Qing Dynasty (1803). The person who proposed rebuilding the bridge was He Xiande and his wife. Since then, it was called Anlan Bridge, meaning "couple" or "husband-and-wife" bridge, in reference to the couple who proposed it.

Anlan Bridge is 261 meters long. It is supported by wooden pegs and stone piers. The bridge crosses the river by using bamboo ropes. The bridge is secured by bamboo ropes on two sides, in length of which are about 500 meters each. When the bridge was restored, steel ropes were used instead of bamboo ropes. The wooden pegs which supported the cable were changed to ferroconcrete pegs, and the length of the bridge become 240 meters.