Tai'an Qi Great Wall

The Qi Wall served as an example of the ingenuity of the Chinese people. The Construction started in 685 BCE. The existing sections date back to 500 BCE. Construction ended during the Warring States Period. Considered as the oldest existing Great Wall in China, the Great Wall of Qi stretches from the areas under the administration of the present-day city of Jinan to the present-day city of Qingdao across the present-day cities of Tai'an, Zibo, Laiwu, Weifang, Linyi, and Rizhao.

Qi was already a large and powerful prince before the Spring and Autumn Period, ruling over a large area of present Shandong Province. However, its reign was gradually threatened by Jin and Lu states as these became stronger. Fights between the states were common and Qi was often defeated. Later, to forestall the invaders, the Qi governors started to build a wall along the Taishan Mountain where Qi bordered the other two states. However, Chu, which was originally a weak state, emerged as a confident power and was a threat to Qi in the north. In response to Chu’s repeated invasions, Qi built another section of wall in its northern boundary. Successive sections were constructed and connected to form an integrated fortification. The wall ran more than 600 kilometers from west to east, joining the embankment of Yuanhe River and the north foot of Taishan Mountain.

The style and construction way of the walls are the same as that of the mainline Great Wall, but poorly conserved. There are only some remaining traces in some sections along the line. Although the original Qi Wall had been destroyed and abandoned, some ruins of it can be found around China’s east Shandong province.



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