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The Great Chines Wall-2 (Dragon-city)

For its development the world needs ideas. It is the law of life. Mainly ideas (and actions too) are the force of the development of human civilization and formation of its future. There are big ideas which are able to change the whole world and small ideas which influence only local changes. There are ideas which use experience of the mankind and the new ones that have no analogues in the world.

There are ideas which can create and, unfortunately, destroy.

Nowadays, when globalization is the main tendency of the world development, it means a close interconnection of all events, the role of new ideas is becoming more and more important and responsible.

New millennium requires new ideas. What ideas will appear and how will they influence our life? Only time can answer this question.

 

The Great Chinese Wall or the  Large Ideas for Great China!

Igor Svystun

 

I hardly surprise anybody with the idea of building a new city. But I want to make exactly this suggestion. During the whole history of the mankind people were mostly busy building cities. It is quite a traditional occupation. Even the idea of building an ideal, the most wonderful city – the city of “the Sun” is not new. So what does the idea of building a NEW CITY imply? How will a new city look like? Where can it be built? And the most important question – why it should be built?

The country that is able to realize this idea is China.

The country has a very ancient and original culture. The country which gave the world a lot of important inventions and discoveries. The country with a huge population and is experiencing the period of reforms and changes.

Mainly these reforms and a new life in China give the reasons for hope to realize this idea.

There are a lot of bright periods in history of China and for five thousand years of development of Chinese civilization a great number of wonderful things were created, but one of the brightest ones is building of the Great China Wall. The Chinese are not in vain proud of this symbol of their great diligence, because there is not on the earth another such a monument created by people’s intellect, will and hands. Even from the space it is well seen, meandering on the northern mountain range as a huge dragon from the fairy-tale. One might say that everything has already passed, life has changed, and there is no necessity today to build fortress walls and towers. It is true but it is not obligatory to continue building the China Wall as the fortification building. We can build a city using the image of the Great China Wall as a prototype, where the main characteristics would be its extension and silhouette. “Linear” plan of city building which will go through the eastern, the most heavily populated part of China from the north to the south through the whole country and extends for thousand kilometers will give the possibility to create the unique and modern systems of communication among the territories.

In ancient times need in protection was the main element of person’s life and that is why fortress walls and towers were erected around the settlements. And China created the hugest defensive system in the world, more that 5 thousand km long, which protected the whole country from the north from attacks of nomadic tribes.

Nowadays the main element and symbol of modern life is the system of communication. One of the most ancient, classical examples which are very important today as well is a road. The roads led, the roads connected. Settlements appeared along the roads. Roads gave life to the cities. In culture of the East the topic of the way is very characteristic- a way as a philosophical category;  a way as a means of achieving perfection. Creation of the unique, the longest city in the world, a city –road will allow not only to materialize  one of the modern town-planning theories but also give the possibility to look at the future…because this town-planning project which is unique for the beginning of the third millennium can become quite traditional in future. Modern trend of population growing and as a result a rapid growth of cities is a natural process. If before a ‘centrical’ system of town building dominated, in future the most prospective can be a ‘linear’ system, which connects existing settlements into one whole city.  Moreover, even today there is a tendency of junction of the settlements situated along the highways, so why not to develop this tendency to the creation of a real extensive city. This construction can become a new continuation of great traditions of China, as everything done in China is characterized by its greatness  - it is characteristic feature and tradition of China. To support spirit of great changes! To show the world the possibilities of China in the peaceful construction.

 

During all its history the main task of the Chinese was to protect its country from the enemies. That is why they had been erecting the Great Wall for centuries. And if in China so much effort was put to build the Great Wall and scores of generations fulfilled this hard task, so nowadays a new great idea must come up.

The main idea of creation of a NEW society in China is wonderful but it is infinite, it can last till indefinite times. So in my opinion more specific and huge programs are needed which can be fulfilled at certain period of time, as the stages of a long way. Construction of a new, unique city on the Earth, when time and expenses of the construction can be calculated, and which is based on the ancient Chinese traditions – such an idea could become for the nearest future a stage of constructing NEW CHINA.

 

The main characteristics (sinuosity and extension of the city ‘Great Wall- 2’) can give the city more resonant name “Dragon city”.

Characteristics:

-     the city is directly connected the landscape and nature. The most beautiful territories along ‘the road - city’ will be used as the parks. The less impressive are for agricultural and industrial production.

-          main direction – north-south, it will go through unoccupied areas and link existing towns and villages;

-          the route goes along the economically developed territories of Eastern China where every province forms its own local program of building according to its finances but in the frame of the main program;

-          some branches from the main direction are possible;

-          in certain places communication hubs and road junctions will be created;

-          the main street will go through the whole city (several thousand km);

-          a highway and a railway will go in parallel with the main street at the distance of several kilometers;

-          the silhouette of the city will resemble ‘GCW’ that is it will have some parts with low building up – ‘A Wall’ and high building up – ‘A Tower’;

-          width of the city can be from several hundred meters to 10 km and more;

-          development of agriculture and industry and building of the city will solve the problem of employment of population;

 

What will this idea give to China and the world?

-          solution of the unique task of creation the most extensive  city in the world using a ‘linear’ lay-out of development;

-          solution in practice of the model of the city of future – a city of ‘Sun’, and for China – the city of ‘Dragon’;

-          A huge laboratory for experiments in architecture and construction (search for new technologies, architectural forms and town-planning solutions);

-          New big financial investments, work places;

-          Possibility for different countries to take part in the building which can make this project international;

-          Integration of the main efforts of the best experts from the whole world;

-          China as the main building site in the World.

 

Is it a real idea or Utopia?

Only the administration of China can answer this question. But as a scientific and theoretical problem it is interesting in itself and needs developing.

At the beginning of the third millennium the world needs big ideas and it will be better if these ideas are constructive.