Essay Sample on China: The Influence of History

The effects of China’s history have formed and changed China to be what it is today. I visited China during one of my summer breaks. I thought I would stay at my grandparent’s house until my parents surprised me with tickets. We would see the Great Wall of China, the Forbidden City, and Tiananmen Square. We went with our cousins to visit those places and learn about them for three days. Historic preservation is important to my community and me because we can learn from our past and know how we got here. 

The Great Wall of China showed the strength and unification of China. Different dynasties added parts to the Great Wall as a unified effort. My relatives and I went to the Great Wall first, and when we got to the check-in place. We took a tramway to get to the Great Wall. I did not get to walk on the Great Wall for long because it was so crowded, but I still got to see the view. Many soldiers that defended China from invaders would have felt confident. My relatives and I had to get off the Great Wall, but we still walked along a trail next to the wall. I could see how big the wall was and how invaders would have trouble getting past it. The Great Wall improved China’s protection.

The Forbidden City showed incredible craftsmanship and technique of China’s architecture. When we visited the Forbidden City, I was amazed by the beautiful architecture. All the red colors represented good fortune and happiness. The yellow colors symbolized supreme power. When we went inside, I saw how big the palace complex was. There were bridges and lots of buildings. We went to a museum there, and I saw ancient artifacts like armor, swords, and sculptures. The entrance to the Forbidden City was Tiananmen Square.

Tiananmen Square was the site of many historical events. When we went to Tiananmen Square, we took pictures. But, I learned something else that I did not see with my own eyes. It was the site of the Tiananmen Square Massacre. It decreased China’s tourism revenue and bilateral aid, and it seemed to be becoming a pariah state. The massacre also had some good outcomes. For example, China developed a separation of powers and government defense spending increased. Tiananmen Square marks an important place where this protest and massacre happened. We need to learn from it to ensure it will not happen again. 

To learn from our past and know how we got here, we should preserve history. The Great Wall of China showed how robust China was. Parts were added to The Great Wall as a collaborative effort by various dynasties. It showed that China was more than making many things. The Forbidden City showed the architecture of China was worth seeing. It also served as the political and ritual center of China for many years. Tiananmen Square is a monument to China's heroes. The square was also the site of the June fourth massacre, which did not help China. We should take what we learned from the past to understand the strengths it has given us and make sure we do not repeat past mistakes.