Dajiao Tower

Dajiao Tower

Dajiao Tower is situated at the highest point on the eastern side of Mutianyu Pass, currently designated as Mu Zi Yi Tai. It is one of the famous landmarks of the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall. Historically, it marked the boundary between the Jizhen and Changzhen sections of the Great Wall. The area to the east was governed by Jizhen, while that to the west was under Changzhen. Within the Mutianyu Great Wall, Dajiao Tower is a relatively large watchtower. Perched at an eastern high point, it offers a broad view, with sights of both the inside and outside of the Great Wall. It kept watch to the west over Mutianyu Pass and to the east over Qilian Pass, serving as a strategic passage for advance and retreat.

The reason this tower is called Dajiao Tower (literally “Big Corner Tower”) is because it is surrounded by the Great Wall on three sides—one section extends westward and connects to Badaling, another goes eastward toward Gubeikou, and a third runs southward as an inner branch wall. From any angle along the Great Wall, it resembles a corner of a fortress, hence the name Dajiao Tower.

This tower was built in a perilous mountain location, with steep cliffs on all sides as if cut by knives or axes, rising straight up and down. Legend has it that the original name of this tower was “Da Jiao Lou” (literally “Stepping Tower”), but over time the name became colloquially altered to Dajiao Tower. It’s said that when Emperor Qin Shi Huang was constructing the Great Wall, he took a liking to the strategically important terrain of this mountain peak and decided to build a watchtower there. When the imperial decree arrived, the soldiers and laborers tasked with border construction had no choice but to take on the dangerous mission. However, every batch of workers sent up the mountain met with deadly falls, resulting in countless casualties among soldiers and civilians alike.

Later, news of these tragedies reached Emperor Qin Shi Huang. He thought, “In such a vast empire with so many talented people, how is it that no one can build a mere watchtower?” So he issued a public notice seeking skilled individuals—anyone who could complete the construction of the watchtower here would be granted an official title and rewarded with silver. But several months passed, and still no one came forward. One day, while the emperor was fuming over the issue, a frail-looking young woman suddenly stepped forward, claiming she had a brilliant method to build the tower. In truth, this woman was actually a transformed lizard spirit (known among rural folk as a “hu zi,” or tiger-like creature). Every night, under the cover of darkness, she would reveal her true form. First, she would use her feet to cling to the cliffs and chisel out a foundation. Then, she would grip the partially built walls and continue laying bricks upward. In just over ten days, she had completed most of the construction of the watchtower.

Now, in Mutianyu Village, there lived a young cowherd in his twenties who spent his days tending cattle for a wealthy landlord. One day, after returning from grazing, the landlord noticed one of the cows was missing and scolded the cowherd, ordering him to go find it. It was already late, so the cowherd had no choice but to search the mountain in the dark. Around midnight, as he approached the base of a steep and towering peak, he heard the sound of something striking stone. Following the noise, he spotted a faint glow at the mountaintop. Puzzled, the cowherd pushed through thorny bushes and climbed toward the peak. As he neared the top, he dimly saw a woman near the watchtower, smiling at him through the light. Overcome with curiosity, the cowherd rushed into the watchtower. By the time he entered, the woman he had seen had vanished, but he clearly saw a large foot disappearing out of the tower window. The cowherd thought to himself that most village women had bound feet, yet this woman had large ones—she must have been a fairy. After returning to the village, he told the villagers about seeing the woman’s large foot. They all said she was a fairy disguised as a lizard spirit who had come down to build the watchtower but fled upon being seen by the cowherd. Ever since, people began calling that watchtower the “Dajiao” (Big Foot) Tower.