Gaipan was a small village located in the western Earth Kingdom. During a period of Fire Nation occupation, it was destroyed by a catastrophic man-made flood, though the residents of the settlement were all safely evacuated after a last-minute intervention by Sokka.[1]
History[]
Prior to its occupation, Gaipan was a quiet town of loggers and woodsmen. However, during the Hundred Year War, it was captured by the Fire Nation and converted into a military outpost. The Freedom Fighters strove to liberate the town from the Fire Nation and, for years, ambushed their patrol troops and cut off their supply lines.
The occupants of Gaipan narrowly escaped death when Sokka, supported by an elderly Fire Nation citizen, successfully warned the civilians and led them away to safety before the Freedom Fighters executed a plan to desolate the village. The revolutionaries intended to destroy a nearby dam, which would flood the valley and exterminate the Fire Nation soldiers therein.[1]
Layout and description[]
Prior to its occupation, Gaipan was primarily inhabited by working class families, the village's main economic catalyst being logging. When Fire Nation soldiers took control of the village, it served as a small military outpost. Gaipan was a relatively small settlement comprised of several green tile roofed buildings aligned on a straight grid with a sandstone wall encompassing the village. A larger building was situated toward the back of the town. To the west, a large, artificial dam held back a reservoir, which served as the town's main source of water.[2]
Notable figures[]
Trivia[]
- The disposition of the village's walls and buildings makes it look similar to the mining village[3] and Senlin Village.[4]
- Jet's attempt to flood Gaipan village resembles the 1938 Yellow River flood, where dykes and dams were deliberately destroyed by China's Nationalist government to slow the advance of Japanese invaders during the Second Sino-Japanese War. The ensuing floods drowned tens of thousands of Chinese villagers and triggered a famine that would go on to kill hundreds of thousands.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Eagan, James (writer) & Filoni, Dave (director). (May 6, 2005). "Jet". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 1. Episode 10. Nickelodeon.
- ↑ From older Avatar: The Last Airbender official site, originally on Nick.com. Encyclopedia now broken, archived at The Lost Lore of Avatar Aang - Location: Gaipan.
- ↑ Hubbard, Matthew (writer) & Filoni, Dave (director). (March 25, 2005). "Imprisoned". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 1. Episode 6. Nickelodeon.
- ↑ Ehasz, Aaron (writer) & MacMullan, Lauren (director). (April 8, 2005). "Winter Solstice, Part 1: The Spirit World". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 1. Episode 7. Nickelodeon.