The North Great Wall

The North Great Wall

The North Great Wall is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Commonly known as the Dawukou Great Wall. It is referred to as the Northern Border Gate Frontier Wall in the "Jiajing Ningxia Annals." Oriented from east to west, the wall features three beacon tower ruins, one Lingshan Fort ruin, and one North Gate Pass ruin. It was built in the tenth year of the Jiajing reign during the Ming Dynasty (1531 AD) upon the suggestion of Qi Zhiying to Wang Qiong, the then military commander and Minister of War of Ningxia Town. The wall stretches from Sand Lake to Zaoshangou at the foot of the Helan Mountains, covering a total length of thirty-five li. “It consists entirely of inner city walls, each two zhang high and thick; ditches are dug along certain sections, each one zhang and five chi deep and wide, with battlements on the walls for cover and gaps through which to aim and shoot.” After hundreds of years of wind and rain erosion, parts of this section of the Great Wall have endured much vicissitude—some no longer exist, but some portions still remain, making it a worthwhile destination for those seeking to explore ancient history.