Vast Chinese Walls Series: Innovative Methods

Span ridges, valleys, arid desert laid

Innovative methods thine makers made

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Long walls (changcheng, 长城) were built in sixteen different Chinese Dynasties. We visited four different styles of wall built during three Dynasties, the Qin, Han, and Ming:

The Qin wall was built of quarried stones from the nearby Mongolian region.

The Han wall was built using the branches of tamarisk cones that thrive in the harsh desert environment of Gansu.

The Ming wall beyond Jiayuguan at the west end of the Hexi Corridor in Gansu features weathered rammed earth.

The Ming Wall in the capital region was the only Dynastic Great Wall to be made of manmade brick and mortar. While the tourist Ming wall is the smooth, if not also steep, wall the world has come to know and expect, the wild Ming wall is a combination of rougher stone and broken brick, most in states of severe vegetative overgrowth, wear, and collapse.

The capital region walls were more than simply a defensive barrier. They were also a complex network of military roads. When signals went up announcing the enemy, forces could quickly be moved and concentrated. Similarly, supplies and information could be transported efficiently over long distances and inhospitable terrain.

Watchtowers were built for housing troops, logistics, and security. We saw a recently-excavated, built-in stone kang (heated bed) with integrated cooking vessel in a tower we passed through. These towers then had doors and windows that could be locked for protection from weather and attackers. There were also wooden structures erected on the flat roofs.