The Huangyaguan Great WallThe Great Wall of China wasbuilt on the bordersof the land belonging to the Han (majority Chinese) people and the northern nomadic tribes.
Its purpose was toprevent invasions from the nomadic tribesto the Central Plain of China. Below is how the soldiers stationed on the Great Wall defended against their enemies.
The Design of the Wall Made It a Strong Defense System
Theaverage height of the Great Wallis 7.8 meters but it reaches about 14 meters in some sections. The width of the wall is about 4 to 5 meters.
Its height and width make itvery solidand this prevented any enemies from intruding.
Most sections of the Great Wall werebuilt on mountain ridges. This would exhaust an enemy army's effective strength by the time they reached the wall.
The Soldiers Played an Important Role in the Wall's Defense
The Great Wall itself was solid enough, but its successful defense relied on the soldiers who guarded it day and night. The soldiers haddifferent jobs to doat each stage of a war.
Smoke Signals from Watchtowers
A watchtower on the Mutianyu Great WallThe soldiers were stationed in the nearby fields and patrolled on the Great Wall to look out for enemy movement.
当他们看到enemy approach, the soldiers on a beacon tower lit a'wolf fire'(they burned wolf dung to make a fire/smoke signal).
Soldiers at neighboring towers could see the smoke/fire during the day/ night,alerting the troopsthat the enemy was coming and a battle was about to start.
Arrows to Repel Attacks
The soldiers on each watchtower hadgood lines of sighton the wall in between and its approach. There were about 25,000 towers on the Great Wall in total.
当他们看到enemy approaching the Great Wall, thearcherson the wall would get ready with arrows to shoot the enemy soldiers from the nocks (arrow holes).
This method efficiently reduced the number of defending soldiers who were wounded andgreatly reduced the enemy offensivebefore they got near the wall.
Dropping Stones on Attackers
Despite the use of archery, with the use of shields, enemy soldiers were still able to get close to the wall.
At this point, the troops on the wall wouldroll huge stones offthe wall to crush and destroy their enemies and their ladders and prevent them from climbing the wall.
Horses on the Wall
The horse wall on the Great WallIf enemies managed to get onto the wall, thedefensive cavalryensured it was difficult for them to move. Some sections of the Great Wall were wide enough for four horses to ride abreast.
When the defending soldiers retreated to the towers, cavalry could charge into the attackers.
The horse wall provided cover for the soldiers,slowing the enemy assault, and giving time for more defenders to arrive.
Reinforce and Retake
While slowing an enemy attack with a cavalry charge and more arrow fire from adjacent towers,reinforcementswould be called to defend a breach.
The Great Wall was used for communication and rapid redeployment of a garrison. It was much quicker to travel along the wall top than on the surrounding mountainside.
Then the reinforced defenders would sally out from the watchtowers toretake a section of wall, squeezing the enemy between two shield walls.
Once the wall was retaken, any enemy who made it over or through wasisolatedand trapped within China, and could be relatively easily overpowered.
- 1-Day Beijing Highlights Private Tour
- 1-Day Jinshanling Great Wall Hiking Tour
- 2-Day Jiankou Wild Great Wall Camping Tour
Recommended Great Wall Tours
Peking operaIf you are planning a Great Wall tour, please seeour recommended itinerariesfor inspiration:
- 1- Day Jiankou to Mutianyu Great Wall Hiking Tour
- 4-Day Beijing and Great Wall Tour for Families with Kids
If you are not interested in the above, seemore Great Wall tours.
Or just tell us your interests and requirements, and we cantailor-make your own unique China tour
Learn More about the Great Wall
- How Long It Took to Build the Great Wall of China?
- Why the Watchtowers Were Built on the Great Wall?
- What Was the Great Wall of China Made of?
- How Was the Great Wall Defended?
- Why the Great Wall WAS, and STILL IS, So Important?
- Why the Great Wall Was Built?
- What to Pack for Great Wall Trips?
- Current Situation of the Great Wall of China
- Great Wall Threat and Protection
- Over 300 Famous People Have Visited the Great Wall
