Pian Guan Beacon Tower

Pian Guan Beacon Tower

On the northern mountain opposite the Lao Ying Fort in Pian Guan, there stands a collapsed beacon tower—traces left behind by millennia of wind and rain. It’s unclear whether this is the arrangement of fate or the random carving of time. This was once an ancient battlefield where the neighing of nomadic horses and the billowing of war smoke filled the air. These remnants seem to hint at something to the world, but perhaps only heaven knows.

Due to the collapse of the beacon tower, its base has eroded into a slope of yellow earth. Climbing up to the top of the beacon tower is easy along this slope. From the tower, you can take in the full view of Lao Ying Fort, as well as the beacon towers on the nearby and distant hills, one after another, clearly visible. They look like valiant frontier guards standing atop each hill. From the beacon tower, you can also see the winding and rugged ancient Great Wall. Though it has collapsed, its majestic ruins remain. Gazing at these ancient walls and beacon towers across the barren, monotonous expanse of yellow land, it’s as if you’re looking at an exquisite painting—simple yet vigorous, and gracefully dynamic. One can’t help but wonder if the wisps of smoke from nearby homes remember that those distant walls once protected their peace. Do they recall the soldiers who once guarded and farmed along the Great Wall? Do they remember the years when dust and sand filled the air, and weapons, banners, and chaos filled the land? The mighty passes and fortresses they once defended have lost their original colors. The walls, once strong, have gradually aged under the wind and sand. The ancients built the Great Wall from earth, and later, some parts of it collapsed and returned to just mounds of dirt. Who would know that the very earth beneath your feet was once part of the Great Wall? A beacon tower, perhaps?

The smoke of the past has dissipated, the ancient walls and beacon towers have collapsed, the old military camps have turned into villages, and the areas around the Great Wall and beacon towers have become fertile farmland. People here farm, herd sheep, and cattle, living peaceful and contented lives. Though they may no longer remember the past, history will record every detail of these places. For modern visitors, coming here might be a form of remembrance, or perhaps imagination—but more likely, it’s simply for leisure.

Phone: 0350-3031715

Address: Pian Guan County, Xinzhou City, Shanxi Province