Wan Weisheng (B. 1932) "Great Wall in Autumn" Signed lower left. Tempra on Watercolor Paper. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting was originally published on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the China 8Y Great Wall in Autumn stamp issued June 25, 1979. To dig through so much earth, to lay brick and stone, and actually build a wall 1,500 miles long, is certainly one of man's most impressive accomplishments. Seventy-nine million cubic yards of stone and 236 million cubic yards of rammed earth provided the raw materials for the great Wall of China. One million men provided the hand-labor. But, the price was high. And, the Chinese proverb, a life for every stone, proved prophetic, as over half the men died in a building process that took hundreds of years to complete. Initial construction began during the feudal wars of 475 B.C. Following this period, culture, art and learning flourished, and in hopes of uniting the country and protecting it from outside rulers, the Emperor Shi Huan Di ordered the most massive construction project ever undertaken by man. All old sections of the defensive walls were repaired and linked together to create the Great Wall. Almost one thousand years later, the Ming dynasty reinforced the original earth and rock walls with slabs of stone and huge bricks, leaving the Great Wall much as it appears today. Now, the Great Wall covers nearly one tenth of the world's circumference and contains more than thirty thousand towers. It stands twenty-five feet high and tapers from twenty-five feet at the base to fifteen feet at the top. It remains an inpiring reminder of the art, genius and tenacity of the Chinese people. Image Size: 7.25 x 8.75 in. Overall Size: 12 x 13 in. Unframed. (B05541)