The Wall Of The State of Wei the Disappeared Great Wall

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As a country in the north，the State of Wei，like other ducal states，first should ensure the security of itself.At that time，the State of Wei had a fairly large territory，including the north area of the Henan province today，the south part of Shanxi province and the east area of Shaanxi province.It abutted with the powerful State of Qin in the west and the State of Zhao in the north，and it also bordered upon the State of Qi in the east and faced the States of Han and Chu in the south.The capital of Wei was originally in Anyi，the place at the present-day Xiaxian County in Shanxi province.However，during King Huiwang’s reign，he thought that the capital was too close to the powerful State of Qin，with the danger of being annexed hanging over at every moment.

Therefore he decided to look for a comparatively safer place，and the capital was moved to Daliang，the present-day Kaifeng City in Henan province.

The State of Wei had built two walls. One was in the west of Kaifeng City in Henan province, and since it was in the south of the ancient Yellow River, it was called “Henan Great Wall”(the Great Wall in the south of theYellow River), and it was also called”Juan Great Wall” because it passed the place Juandi(the present-day Yuanwu Town in Yuanyang in Henan province). Because of the frequent flooding of Yellow River here, the Henan Great Wall had long disappeared.

Since it was in the west of the Yellow River, it was called “Hexi Great Wall”(the Great Wall in the west of Yellow River) or “Heyou Great Wall”(the Great Wall on the right of Yellow River). As to the Hexi Great Wall, there were some records in the Bamboo Annals and the Historical Records of Justice. In the Historical Records of Justice it said,”The State of Wei abutted with the State of Qin in the west, and it built walls on the borders between it and the State of Qin, which were from Zhengxian County in Huangzhou in the south, over Weihe River in the northwest, on the east bank of Bingluo River and in Shangjun and Fuzhou in the north.”From this description we could know clearly the position and direction of the Hexi Great Wall.