Question

How has the Great Wall impacted the people of China and of the world?

Answer 1

It can be said that the Great Wall affirmed its purpose by protecting China from "barbarian" invaders who used to regularly attack from the north. It stood as a symbol of the Chinese empire's might and authority for centuries and continues to represent the ancient glory of that nation in today's eyes as one of the wonders of the world.

At the same time, it can also stand as a symbol of China's relative isolation from the world as well. It cut itself off from outside influences and limited contact with foreign powers for many years in order to stifle unwanted "influences". As the rest of the world continued to improve and evolve its industries, China, for many centuries, stagnated in the face of the growing strength of other nations...particularly in Europe and the West. Technologically, many of the inventions that the Chinese had come up with were taken in and then improved upon by those nations that now took advantage of its weakened state to plunder and corrupt its markets in a number of ways during colonial times and well afterwards.

Even after the Communists had taken control of China following WW2, once again, there was a wall placed between that nation and the rest of the world limiting contact. Only the thaw in the last forty odd years has finally opened China up to the rest of the world.

The Wall is still a potent symbol of China's past, but even today, it can also be seen as a symbol of some of the more subtle walls are still in place within its culture at many levels. For example, the government restrictions placed upon its internet within China are often collectively referred to as the "Great Firewall", a play on both the Great Wall and firewall tech that means the same thing - to keep unwanted outside influences out.