Great Wall Research Articles

Quantitative analysis of big data for land resource classification and zoning at the township level in Northern Shaanxi

To analyze and evaluate the conditions and distribution characteristics of rural land resources in northern Shaanxi. The experiment extracts two terrain feature values, namely slope and undulation, which are highly correlated with land resources. Then, the extraction results of all 302-township level administrative regions in northern Shaanxi are processed, and the scoring results of all township level units are sorted. Based on this, optimization and adjustment are made to form a classification result. The experimental results show that land resources in primary townships are most scarce, mainly distributed in the central and western regions of northern Shaanxi, with 53 in Yan'an and 7 in Yulin; Land resources in secondary townships are relatively scarce, mainly distributed along the Yellow River in the central and southern parts of northern Shaanxi, with 40 in Yan'an and 53 in Yulin; The land resources of third level townships are relatively abundant, generally distributed along the Great Wall, and belong to the transitional zone between windblown sand and grassland areas and hilly and gully areas. Except for one third level township located in Yan'an, all 22 other townships are located in Yulin; The fourth level townships have abundant land resources and are located in the loess plateau landform area in the southern part of northern Shaanxi. They belong to Yan'an Luochuan and three surrounding counties, totaling 17 townships; The terrain of the fifth and sixth level townships is flat, and the land resources are the most abundant. They belong to the sandy and grassy terrain north of the Great Wall in northern Shaanxi. A total of 56 townships are located in 7 county-level administrative regions of Yulin City. The experimental results lay the foundation for the research on optimizing the spatial pattern of rural life in northern Shaanxi, and can also provide support for classified guidance and precise policy implementation for rural revitalization, agricultural industry policy formulation, human settlement environment construction, and ecological environment protection.

What is lost when a language dies?

Abstract Nowak argues that the problem with language loss is not linguists’ loss of data or that the loss of a language is often a result of discrimination against its speakers. Instead, the real problem is its speakers’ loss of illocutionary force. I argue that Nowak’s argument rests on two premises that are both empirically unjustified: that cultural knowledge is a prerequisite for illocutionary force, and that language is a prerequisite for illocutionary force. Languages are among the most fascinating accomplishments of mankind, surpassing Machu Picchu and the Great Wall of China in the eyes of many. I think language loss is comparable to loss of species. The intuition that the death of a language is a significant event, reflects that: Something that evolved gradually over hundreds of years, passed on through hundreds of generations and thousands of individual speakers, is irreversibly gone, once and for all. The illocutionary force of its individual speakers is not.

Value evaluation model (VEM) of ancient Chinese military settlement heritage: a case study of Liaoxi Corridor in the Ming Dynasty

The Ming Great Wall Military Defense System is the most complete ancient military cultural heritage in China, which is of great significance to the study of China’s ancient military defense mechanism and pattern. Military settlement is an important carrier of this mechanism. The estimation and in-depth understanding of its value can further excavate the profound connotation of the military defense system and the Great Wall spatial pattern in the Ming Dynasty. This paper adopts the AHP-CRITIC weighting approach to determine the weights of the historical value, scientific value, social value, cultural value and artistic value of the settlement heritage, so as to construct the value evaluation model of military settlements, and takes 34 Ming Great Wall military settlements in the Liaoxi Corridor as an example for evaluation. The results of the evaluation identified the priority settlements for conservation and development, and also explored their relationship with historical status, urbanization processes and official policies. The evaluation model constructed in this paper has a certain universality, and can also be followed in the evaluation of other military settlements in the Ming Great Wall Defense System, so as to obtain the overall cognition of the settlement system.

Bioaccumulation and Trophodynamics of Novel Brominated Flame Retardants (NBFRs) in Marine Food Webs from the Arctic and Antarctic Regions.

The pervasive contamination of novel brominated flame retardants (NBFRs) in remote polar ecosystems has attracted great attention in recent research. However, understanding regarding the trophic transfer behavior of NBFRs in the Arctic and Antarctic marine food webs is limited. In this study, we examined the occurrence and trophodynamics of NBFRs in polar benthic marine sediment and food webs collected from areas around the Chinese Arctic Yellow River Station (n = 57) and Antarctic Great Wall Station (n = 94). ∑7NBFR concentrations were in the range of 1.27-7.47 ng/g lipid weight (lw) and 0.09-1.56 ng/g lw in the Arctic and Antarctic marine biota, respectively, among which decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE) was the predominant compound in all sample types. The biota-sediment bioaccumulation factors (g total organic carbon/g lipid) of NBFRs in the Arctic (0.85-3.40) were 4-fold higher than those in the Antarctica (0.13-0.61). Trophic magnification factors (TMFs) and their 95% confidence interval (95% CI) of individual NBFRs ranged from 0.43 (95% CI: 0.32, 0.60) to 1.32 (0.92, 1.89) and from 0.34 (0.24, 0.49) to 0.92 (0.56, 1.51) in the Arctic and Antarctic marine food webs, respectively. The TMFs of most congeners were significantly lower than 1, indicating a trophic dilution potential. This is one of the very few investigations on the trophic transfer of NBFRs in remote Arctic and Antarctic marine ecosystems, which provides a basis for exploring the ecological risks of NBFRs in polar regions.

Morphological and phylogenetic analyses reveal two new Penicillium species isolated from the ancient Great Wall loess in Beijing, China.

Penicillium species exhibit a broad distribution in nature and play a crucial role in human and ecological environments. Two Penicillium species isolated from the ancient Great Wall loess in the Mentougou District of Beijing, China, were identified and described as new species, namely, Penicillium acidogenicum and P. floccosum, based on morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analyses of multiple genes including ITS, BenA, CaM, and RPB2 genes. Phylogenetic analyses showed that both novel species formed a distinctive lineage and that they were most closely related to P. chrzaszczii and P. osmophilum, respectively. Penicillium acidogenicum is characterized by biverticillate conidiophores that produce globose conidia and is distinguished from similar species by its capacity to grow on CYA at 30°C. Penicillium floccosum is typically recognized by its restricted growth and floccose colony texture. The description of these two new species provided additional knowledge and new insights into the ecology and distribution of Penicillium.

Garden on the Great Wall—A Sustainable Solution for the Plants on the Top Surface of the Great Wall Heritage Site

The Great Wall is a world-renowned cultural heritage site and a national key protected cultural relic in China. The plants on the top surface of the Great Wall heritage site are one of the factors leading to the occurrence and continuous deterioration of the Great Wall. Therefore, there is ongoing academic controversy on how to scientifically dispose of the plants on the top surface of the Great Wall heritage site. Taking Beijing Dazhuangke Great Wall as an example, the preliminary field research was completed. This paper further describes the key technology for the disposal of remaining roots after removing the ground part of the plants from the top surface of the Great Wall heritage site and clarifies the basic idea of using the original covered soil on the top surface of the Great Wall heritage site, back-filling the original covered soil stripped via reparation of the layers and the regenerated plants in a seed bank to create ‘soft capping’ protection. This study provides a basic framework for ‘soft capping’ on the top surface of the Great Wall heritage site and construction of the cultural landscape of the ‘Garden on the Great Wall’.

Qin Shi Huang's Legacy: Assessing the First Emperor's Impact on Chinese History

Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, stands as a transformative figure in Chinese history, leaving a lasting impact that reverberates through millennia. This comprehensive exploration delves into the multifaceted dimensions of his rule, assessing his achievements, controversies, and enduring legacy. From his early life in the tumultuous Warring States period to the unification of China through ambitious military campaigns, Qin Shi Huang's journey unfolds against a backdrop of political intrigue and strategic brilliance. The examination of his governance reveals the imprint of Legalist philosophy, with centralization, administrative reforms, and standardized systems shaping the Qin Dynasty's brief but impactful existence. The study evaluates the cultural achievements that define Qin Shi Huang's legacy, notably the Terracotta Army and monumental constructions like the Great Wall. Beyond the archaeological marvels, the paper probes the controversies surrounding his rule, including harsh legal measures, the suppression of Confucianism, and the burning of books. Modern perspectives offer a nuanced reevaluation of his legacy in contemporary China, exploring the relevance of his governance structures and the cultural significance of his achievements in the 21st century. Qin Shi Huang's influence on subsequent dynasties, particularly the Han, is scrutinized, highlighting the enduring elements of his governance that shaped Chinese political thought. The abstract concludes by emphasizing the continued relevance of Qin Shi Huang's legacy, providing insights into the complexities of leadership, governance, and the continuity of Chinese history. As debates surrounding his legacy persist, Qin Shi Huang remains an enigmatic figure whose historical significance extends beyond his time, contributing to a dynamic discourse on China's past and its implications for the present and future

Research on the Construction of the Integrated Resource Platform of Intellectual Media and Vocational Education

The Great Wall is the largest existing cultural heritage in China, the spiritual symbol of the Chinese nation, and has an irreplaceable important value and status in the history of Chinese civilization and the development of Chinese traditional culture. It is of great significance to further strengthen cultural confidence and fully demonstrate the enduring influence of fine traditional Chinese culture, the powerful appeal of revolutionary culture, and the strong vitality of advanced socialist culture.

Temporal and spatial distribution characteristics of the Ming Great Wall

The Great Wall during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) was the most prominent engineering volume and the most perfect military defense structure in the history of China. By combining traditional historical textual research, site surveys, and GIS database analysis, this paper reveals the Ming Great Wall’s spatial and temporal distribution characteristics and the immediate causes of their formation are discussed in the nine military districts of the frontier. The results show that: (1) The general rule of the Ming Great Wall was to set up military forts, passes, piers, and other related defensive facilities before constructing the continuous wall. (2) The Great Wall spatial and temporal distribution of the phases is relatively apparent, divided into five construction phases in the Ming Dynasty (1368–1620): Hongwu to Xuande (1368–1435), unbuilt the wall; Zhengtong to Tianshun (1436–1464), the consecutive wall appeared; Chenghua to Zhengde (1465–1521), the first construction climax of the Great Wall; Jiajing period (1522–1566), the second construction climax of the Great Wall; Longqing to Wanli (1567–1620), the completion of the whole line of the Great Wall.(3)The warfare and defense posture was the immediate factor that prompted the construction of the Great Wall between the Ming Dynasty and Mongolia. This study has some reference significance for restoring the integrity and authenticity of the Ming Great Wall, and contribute to the preservation of the cultural heritage of.

Spatio-temporal characteristics and influencing factors of land disputes in China: Do socio-economic factors matter?

Land disputes pose significant challenges to social stability and development. In this paper, land dispute intensity (LDI) is measured at the provincial level in China from 2009 to 2018 and its spatiotemporal evolution characteristics and influencing factors are explored. The ordinary least squares(OLS), spatial durbin model (SDM), geodetector model, and panel threshold model are used to explore the spatial spillover effects of LDI and its potential non-linear relationship with socio-economic factors. The results reveal that LDI is spatially distributed in a decentralized form, with local areas showing the structural characteristics of “single core, multiple clusters”. The LDI exhibits a significant positive spatial autocorrelation and follows a “logarithmic” upward trend over time. The urbanization rate (UR), social security expenditures (SSE), and the number of land and resources institutions (NLRI) are important driving forces affecting LDI. The SSE and NLRI have a single threshold effect on the LDI, with a “V” shaped weakening trend, and the UR is an important factor causing nonlinear effects. Interestingly, the effect shifts from inhibition to stimulation when the SSE and NLRI cross the corresponding threshold value. This paper can provide new insights into the governance of land disputes.

An Analysis of Supply Chain Environment in Great Wall Motor Based on Life-Cycle Assessment

Great Wall Motor (GWM), a leading automotive manufacturer, places a strong emphasis on environmental sustainability and social responsibility. The company focuses on comprehensively evaluating and enhancing its supply chain to align with these objectives. This evaluation spans the entire product life cycle, encompassing design, manufacturing, packaging, distribution, usage, and recycling and disposal processes. Key areas of focus include optimizing raw material selection, improving product recyclability, reducing energy consumption and waste emissions, and minimizing carbon emissions during transportation. Through these endeavors, GWM not only enhances its environmental performance by reducing carbon emissions and resource consumption but also bolsters its brand image and competitiveness in the market. GWM’s dedication to environmental innovation and technological leadership serves as a driving force behind sustainable development and social responsibility within the industry.

Contrasting consequences of the Great Green Wall: Easing aridity while increasing heat extremes

Contrasting consequences of the Great Green Wall: Easing aridity while increasing heat extremes

Assessing the audio-visual environment at the Great Wall of China: Impacts on visitor satisfaction and restoration

Previous studies have highlighted the significant role of vision in human perception. In this study, we examined whether the assessment of the audio-visual environment at China’s iconic Great Wall aligns with these findings to understand how this assessment influences visitor satisfaction and a sense of restoration. Using a field survey with 107 participants, an eight-variable structural equation model was used, encompassing sound sources (sounds of technology, human being and nature), the pleasantness and eventfulness of soundscape, visual assessment, visitor satisfaction, and the Short-version Revised Restoration Scale (SRRS). The results revealed that: (1) visual assessment acted as a partial mediator not only between soundscape assessment and visitor satisfaction, but also between the soundscape assessment and restoration. (2) The pleasantness of the soundscape positively correlated with both visitor satisfaction (β = 0.278, p = 0.004) and restoration (β = 0.244, p = 0.000), while human-generated sounds had a negative impact on soundscape pleasantness (β = -0.256, p = 0.019). (3) The combined visual and auditory assessments contributed 60.5 % and 39.5 % to visitor satisfaction and 42.1 % and 36.8 % to restoration, respectively, indicating that the soundscape assessment of the Great Wall was higher than expected and comparable to visual assessment.

A Digital Survey Approach for Large-Scale Landscape Heritage Resource Exploration: Auxiliary Beacons, the Uncharted Signal Structure of the Great Wall in China

Following the completion of the Great Wall Resource Survey in 2012, numerous landscape heritage resources along the Great Wall remained undiscovered, highlighting the limitations of conventional survey methods. This study aimed to conduct in-depth investigations of Great Wall signal sites through digital fieldwork methods, unveiling a crucial signaling structure—the auxiliary beacon—and presenting genuine historical scenes of the Great Wall signal network. Through the retrieval of the image database of the entire Great Wall and the utilization of UAVs (drones) for low-altitude remote sensing surveys, 252 auxiliary beacon sites were identified in diverse environments (e.g., deserts, mountains, plains) in Xinjiang, Gansu, Inner Mongolia, Qinghai, Ningxia, and other 10 regions. These case studies enable the categorization of layout types and the proposal of reconstruction hypotheses for the signal network of the Great Wall of China. The findings demonstrate that the beacon fire signals are not lit on the beacon tower tops, but through the ignition of various signals by auxiliary beacons, expressing pre-arranged information. Beacon towers and auxiliary beacons together form an efficient signal network along the Great Wall. This study explores how to use digital survey methods to unearth unknown landscape heritage resources of the Great Wall, enhancing the accuracy of observation for cross-regional and large-scale cultural heritage.

Vascular plant communities and biocrusts act as controlling factors in mitigating soil erosion on the Great Wall in a semi-humid area of Northwestern China

The Great Wall, a World Heritage Site and a vertical wall habitat, is under threat of soil erosion. The role of vascular plants and biocrust in controlling soil erosion has attracted attention, yet our knowledge of the underlying mechanism is limited, and there is a lack of systematic strategies for erosion prevention and control. In this study, we quantified the vascular plant community functional composition (including species diversity, functional diversity, and community-weighted mean), biocrust coverage, and soil erosion levels associated with seven different zones (lower, middle, and upper zones on East and West faces, plus wall crest) of the Great Wall. We then employed a combination of linear regression analysis, random forest model, and structural equation model to evaluate the individual and combined effects, as well as the direction and relative importance of these factors in reducing soil erosion. The results indicated that the vascular plant species richness, species diversity, functional richness, community-weighted mean, and moss crust coverage decreased significantly from the crest to the lower zone of the Great Wall (P < 0.05), and were negatively correlated with the soil erosion area and depth on both sides of the Great Wall (P < 0.05). This suggests that higher zones on the wall favored the colonization and growth of biocrusts and vascular plants and that biocrusts and vascular plants reduced soil erosion on the wall. Based on these findings, we propose a “restoration framework” for managing soil erosion on walls, based on biocrust and vascular plant communities (namely target species selection, plant community construction, biocrust inoculation, and maintenance of community stability), which aims to address the urgent need for more effective soil erosion prevention and control strategies on the Great Wall and provide practical methods that practitioners can utilize.

Analysis of differences in aroma and sensory characteristics of the mainstream smoke of six cigars

Cigars have unique aroma and style characteristics. In order to clarify the differences of aroma components between domestic and imported cigars and the material basis of the stylistic characteristics of different cigars, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and sensory evaluation were used to compare and analyze the aroma components in the mainstream smoke of four domestic cigars and two imported cigars. The GC-MS results showed that a total of 97 aroma components were measured in the smoke of the six cigars, and the types of aroma components were similar, but there were differences in their contents. In comparison with those of domestic cigars, imported cigars had suitable nicotine content, and higher contents of phytol, neophytadiene, 3-methylpentanoic acid, and (+)-δ-cadinene. To further explore the differences in the aroma components of the six cigars, GC-MS data combined with chemometrics were used to screen out 14 key aroma components based on P-value (P) < 0.05, Variable Importance Projection (VIP) > 1, and Aroma Activity Values (OAV) > 1. The key aroma components of each cigar were obtained, Snow Dream No. 5: cedrol; Wangguan Guocui: 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one, pyridine, 2-ethyl-6-methylpyrazine; General Achileus No. 3: p-cresol, 2-methylbutyraldehyde, methyl cyclopentenolone; Montecristo No. 4: cedrol, 2-methylbutyraldehyde, guaiacol, 4-vinylguaiacol, methyl cyclopentenolone; Romeo y Julieta Wide Churchills: cedrol, 2,6-dimethylpyrazine, 2-ethyl-6-methylpyrazine, 2-heptanone, phenethyl alcohol; Great Wall No. 2: p-cresol, phenethyl alcohol, geranylacetone, methyl cyclopentenolone, dihydroactinidiolide. The odor descriptors of these compounds were consistent with the aroma profiles that were prominent in the senses of each cigar. This experiment initially explored the differences in aroma composition and style characteristics of cigars and provided data to support the quality improvement of domestic cigars.

On the Current Situation of Safety Management in Civil Engineering Construction

Civil engineering information management is a mature and young subject, mature is civil engineering, civil engineering practice has been carried out for thousands of years, such as Qin Shi Huang built the Great Wall. The youngest is the information management of civil engineering, which ensures that the cost, quality, schedule and safety of the project are fully controlled through information management. Civil engineering information management is an emerging discipline that has only been proposed in recent years with the modernization of project management. Although some results have been received, there are still some problems. In order to solve these problems, it is necessary to clarify the significance of information management, discover problems in a timely manner, solve problems, and realize the informatization of construction project management as much as possible. Therefore, this paper discusses the practice of information construction of engineering project management.

The effect of SH-lime composite material on capillary water rise resistance in the Great Wall

Capillary rise of water leads to salt migration and accumulation, which is the main cause of erosion at the bottom of the Great Wall in Northwest China. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of SH (modified polyvinyl alcohol) and lime composite material against capillary water rise. We conducted comparative capillary rise cycle tests on two sample types: untreated Great Wall soil and soil treated with the SH-lime composite, using solutions of NaCl and Na2SO4 of specified concentrations. The surface hardness, strength, water-salt distribution, and pore size distribution of the samples were also evaluated. The results showed that: in the salt solution capillary rise cycle, the untreated soil samples quickly changed color and precipitated white crystals. As the test proceeded, the untreated soil samples developed cracks, followed by fragmentation at the corners, and finally collapsed. In contrast, the SH-lime solidified soil had less white crystal precipitation and no visible cracks after 7 cycles. This indicates that the overall integrity of the SH-lime solidified soil was higher. The capillary rise cycles also changed the pore size distribution of the samples. NaCl crystals tended to occupy and expand micropores and small pores, while Na2SO4 crystals tended to grow in large pores. In addition, Na2SO4 was more destructive to soil than NaCl. The SH-lime composite material reduced porosity and strengthened soil structure, which slowed down the expansion of large pores. The study concludes that SH-lime effectively inhibits capillary rise-induced water-salt migration and associated damage, making it a suitable choice for repairing capillary rise-prone Great Wall sites.

Human Rights and the pedagogy of fear: a reading of “In the construction to the Great Wall of China” from Kafka

The work seeks to establish a dialogue between Law, Literature, and Political Philosophy on what Giorgio Agamben calls "impolitic of exile," and which is perpetrated by the West against people who seek survival through migration, in many cases fleeing wars provoked and/or financed by the same States that deny them protection and shelter. In the Kafkanian text that serves as a paradigm for this work, the narrator, who was one of the thousands of people who worked in the Construction of the Great Wall of China, describes the reasons, circumstances, and first construction activities in which, on the one hand, the bureaucratic and unquestionable decision to carry it out, and on the other hand the justification for it, named in this text as the pedagogy of fear. Fear from who? Of the northern barbarians, identified as monstrous figures. To us, this method is a particular aspect of globalization because things that do not have personality have free transit by the frontiers; persons with fundamental human rights are prohibited from migrating and searching for a new and good life. The great contradiction: things have a price; persons, value, and according to the political philosophy of Kant, only what has value is genuinely important; things are substitutable. And this is the most contradiction of globalization: the minus value of human beings and their fundamental rights. The work is based on the transdisciplinarity methodology, characterized by dialogue between knows – in this case, International Human Rights Law, literature, and Political Philosophy - and criticism, adopting the prevalence of fundamental principles of Human Rights as a way of protecting human beings in exile.

‘Growing a World Wonder’: The Great Green Wall and the History of Environmental Decline in the Sahel, 1450–2022

This article offers a historical critique of the Great Green Wall Initiative of the Sahel and the Sahara (GGW) – an audacious project to stop the southern encroachment of the Sahara Desert by constructing a wall of trees across the continent. By situating the GGW within the longue durée of the Sahel’s environmental history, it examines how the narratives of environmental decline that underpin the initiative are not only misguided but born out of the transatlantic slave trade, imperialism and colonialism, and the neoliberal development projects of the postcolonial period. In doing so, it argues that narratives of environmental decline have not only served as a dynamic framework to rationalise Western exploitation of the Sahel’s environments over time, but have obscured, or even silenced, the effective practices of dryland regeneration of Sahelian communities.