Widow’s Tower

Widow’s Tower

At the westernmost end of the Taipingzhai section of the Huangyaguan Great Wall, there stands a striking square stone tower known as Widow’s Tower. Built during the Longqing era of the Ming Dynasty, it is the best-preserved among the 52 watchtowers along the Jixian stretch of the Great Wall.

The tower is built of brick and stone, standing 13 meters high with two levels inside. The outer wall of the lower level is connected to the main wall of the Great Wall, featuring four large brick pillars that divide the interior into four arched halls. Arrow slits are opened on all sides for defensive shooting. A brick staircase is built in the northwest corner, which leads up to the upper level. The upper level is surrounded by crenellated battlements, with a small rectangular room built in the center. The room has a door facing north and one window on each side. It can accommodate over ten people, serving as a space for soldiers to keep watch and rest.

The name “Widow’s Tower” comes from a moving local legend: when General Qi Jiguang oversaw the construction of the Great Wall, he conscripted a unit of soldiers from Henan. Among them were the wives of twelve soldiers who, after years of not hearing from their husbands, decided to journey to the frontier to find them. After enduring great hardship, they finally arrived at the Jizhou section of the Great Wall, only to learn that their husbands had all died building the wall. Heartbroken, they wept at their graves. General Qi Jiguang, who was inspecting the wall, came upon the scene, learned their story, dismounted, and comforted the women. He gave each of them financial compensation and urged them to return home to raise their children and care for their elders. That night, suppressing their grief, the women decided to honor their husbands’ legacy by contributing the money to the construction of the wall and staying to help build it. In the end, they helped build this defensive tower. To commemorate these twelve heroic and selfless women, the tower was named “Widow’s Tower.”

During the restoration of the Great Wall, Widow’s Tower was given priority due to its special significance to local people. During foundation excavation, artifacts such as women’s thimbles and hairpins were also discovered.