The Ming Great Wall in Lingwu

The Ming Great Wall in Lingwu

The Ming Great Wall in Lingwu is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Great Wall of China is the greatest architectural project in the history of human civilization. Its construction began over 2,000 years ago during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, and after the Qin Dynasty unified China, these walls were linked to form the Ten-Thousand-Li Long Wall. The Han and Ming dynasties later carried out large-scale reconstructions. The sheer scale of the project and its majestic presence make it a wonder of the world. As time passes and things change, today when you visit the ruins of the ancient Great Wall, you can not only witness the grandeur of the wall winding through the mountains and ridges, but also appreciate the wisdom and courage of the Chinese nation in shaping history. Hence, the Great Wall is also regarded as a symbol of the Chinese people.

Ningxia is often called the “Museum of the Great Wall.” Lingwu, the site of the ancient city of Lingzhou, has always been a strategic stronghold for the Central Plains dynasties defending the northwest frontier. Due to military needs, rulers of the Qin, Han, Sui, and Ming dynasties all built sections of the Great Wall in Lingzhou and stationed troops here, while also relocating settlers for farming and defense. Among them, the Ming Dynasty’s wall in Lingwu is the best preserved and most imposing. It starts from the banks of the Yellow River at Hengcheng Fort in the west, resembling a giant dragon drinking from the river, traversing sand dunes, crossing hills and plains, and then stretching eastward across the vast Ordos Plateau.

The Ming Great Wall within Lingwu runs east-west across our city, passing through Linhe Town and Ningdong Town, exiting Majiatan Town and entering Yanchi County. Historically, it has been known as the “East of the River Wall,” also called the “Eastern Great Frontier” or “Hengcheng Great Frontier.”

The Ming Great Wall in Lingwu was built in 1474 AD. Starting from the north bank of the Yellow River at Hengcheng in the west, it extends southeastward, passing through Shuidonggou, Hongshan Fort, Qingshuiying Ancient Fort, and other sites across the city, continuing through Yanchi County to Zhou Taizi Township in Dingbian, Shaanxi. The total length is about 200 kilometers, with 45 kilometers within Lingwu. Historical records indicate that two walls were built in Lingwu: one during the Sui Dynasty and one during the Ming Dynasty, both constructed using local materials and rammed earth.

According to the "Book of Sui · Biography of Cui Zhongfang": In the fifth year of the Kaihuang era (585 AD) under Emperor Wen of Sui, “the Minister of Agriculture, Cui Zhongfang, was ordered to conscript 30,000 laborers to build the Great Wall in Lingwu, Shuofang. It stretched 700 li from the west near the river to the east at Suide, to block the incursions of the Hu barbarians.” During the Ming Dynasty, to defend against invasions by the Tatars and Oirats, the court carried out large-scale reconstruction of the Great Wall on the foundation of the Sui wall. The Ming wall was called the “Frontier Wall.” Historical records state that in the eighth year of the Chenghua era (1472 AD), Yu Zilong, the provincial governor and vice-censor, initiated the project. In the tenth year of Chenghua (1474 AD), Wang Yue, who oversaw the three frontiers of Yansui, Gansu, and Ningxia, urged its completion. In the leap sixth month of that year, under the direction of Xu Tingzhang, the governor of Ningxia, and Fan Jin, the garrison commander, the initial connection of the entire wall was completed. In October of the tenth year of Chenghua, an earthquake struck Lingzhou in Ningxia, causing one-tenth to one-fifth of the Frontier Wall to collapse.

In the fifteenth year of Chenghua (1479 AD), repairs and heightening were carried out from the banks of the Yellow River at Hengcheng to Huamachi, with partial sections being rebuilt. During the Hongzhi era, Zhang Zhengshu and Wang ? (names unclear), governors of Ningxia, dug over 44,000 "品"-shaped pits outside the wall to prevent enemy cavalry from approaching. In the Blackwater Gully area of Hongshan Fort, the trenches were two zhang deep and wide. In the first year of Zhengde (1506 AD), during an inspection tour of Xia and Sui, it was proposed to rebuild the East of the River Wall, and soon after, Yang Yiqing, the commander of the Three Frontiers, requested and was granted approval for reconstruction.

In the tenth year of Jiajing (1531 AD), Wang Qiong, the commander of the Three Frontiers, was responsible for constructing the “Deep Ditches and High Ramparts” from the banks of the Yellow River at Hengcheng in the west to Huamachi in the east, covering a total length of 360 li. The original wall east of Xingwuying was abandoned, and a new wall 54 li long, called the “First Frontier,” was built ten li to the south, with the old wall becoming the “Second Frontier.” The Ming Great Wall, together with nearby garrison forts, formed an effective military defense system against foreign invasions and played a significant role at the time. Take Hongshan Fort as an example: here, the Great Wall, the fort, and the hidden troop caves formed a three-in-one, multi-layered defensive system capable of attack, defense, and concealment — a great innovation in ancient Chinese military defense. The Ming Great Wall, as a military barrier, had a very comprehensive structure and defensive facilities. After the construction of the East of the River Wall, four gateways were established. To the east of Huamachi Fort, the Great Wall Pass was built as the most crucial point — a towering watchtower inscribed with carvings such as “Shuofang Natural Barrier” and “Eagle-Eyed Watch.” Qingshuiying had one gateway with a tower above, offering a commanding view. To the west, Ninghe Platform was built to protect the river crossing and guard the Great Wall. The Great Wall was equipped with military structures such as enemy towers, wall platforms, and beacon towers. Every 100–200 meters, wall platforms jutted out from the wall, eliminating blind spots at the base and enabling flanking attacks. Enemy towers stood higher than the wall, allowing soldiers to see and communicate in all directions.

Some dangerous sections had up to 20 soldiers stationed in circular enemy towers. A total of 29 fort towns were built along the inner side of the East of the River Wall. The Lingwu garrison had 113 beacon towers, spaced five li apart. At night, fires were lit; during the day, smoke signals were raised. If a few to a hundred enemies were spotted, one beacon and one cannon were fired; for 500 enemies, two beacons and two cannons; for 1,000 enemies, three beacons and three cannons; for over 5,000, four beacons and four cannons; and for over 10,000, five beacons and five cannons. Each tower had personnel assigned, equipped with flags, drums, ladders, stones, rockets, wolf dung, cow dung, firewood, and more. Soldiers kept watch day and night, with heavy military forces stationed along the line, fully supplied with provisions, weapons, and necessities. Surveillance, patrols, communication, and troop deployment were all managed without neglect — a state of full military readiness. From its initial completion in the tenth year of Chenghua to the early Wanli era, the East of the River Wall underwent dozens of reconstructions over a century, reflecting the immense labor and suffering endured by ancient soldiers and civilians.

The pain was immense.

Feng Qing, governor of Ningxia during the Zhengde era, wrote the poem “The Hardships of Frontier People,” which truthfully recorded the unbearable corvée burden and heavy taxation suffered by frontier residents, as well as their plight of abandoning homes and fleeing in all directions.

The construction of the East of the River Wall created two routes: one on top of the wall, wide enough for five horses to ride abreast, where patrolling soldiers traveled constantly and supplies were transported. The second was a major transportation road built along the inner side of the wall. With military guards ensuring safety, merchants and travelers flowed continuously. According to the "Records of Northern Barbarian Incidents": “In July and August of 1529 AD, 26,000 dan of wheat and beans were transported to Huamachi via this road — such a massive volume was truly rare.” The construction of the inner road also objectively promoted local economic development.

The Ming Dynasty was one of the largest and final dynasties to construct the Great Wall. The East of the River Wall saw significant advancements in engineering techniques. Route planning considered military, transportation, and agricultural needs, benefiting multiple sectors. Walls were built inward in grassy areas to restrict grazing by enemies, and outward in sandy regions to prevent encampments. Construction adapted to local conditions using available materials. On flat land, soil was excavated outside the wall to create wide moats, making the walls appear even more imposing and preventing enemies from approaching. Inner excavation formed broad roads. In mountainous areas, walls were built inward while earth was excavated outward to increase height. Some dangerous sections used red willow and needlegrass layers, reinforced with wooden frames and compacted rammed earth, resulting in exceptional durability. To this day, it still reflects the long history and splendid culture of ancient Lingzhou.

Along the Ming Great Wall, enemy towers (also called watchtowers) were set up at regular intervals based on terrain. Typically built of brick in square shapes two to three stories high, they featured crenels on all sides. Atop the towers sat a cabin called a Loulu. These towers could house soldiers for shelter, store grain and weapons, and served as critical strongholds. The concept of enemy towers was pioneered by the famous anti-Wokou general Qi Jiguang in the latter half of the 16th century. The "History of Ming · Biography of Qi Jiguang" states that Qi suggested “assigning soldiers to build 1,200 such towers.” These 1,200 towers were just between Shanhaiguan and Juyongguan; the total across the entire Great Wall was truly remarkable.

Wall platforms, jutting out from the wall like a horse’s face (hence called “horse-face platforms”), are small at the top and larger at the base. Their outer and side faces have crenels, and small buildings called Pufang were erected on them to shelter soldiers and protect firearms from weather. These platforms played a vital defensive role, as “shooting directly from the wall face was risky, and soldiers dared not lean out.” With protruding platforms, attackers approaching the wall would be exposed to crossfire from adjacent towers, preventing breaches. Typically, the distance between platforms ensured mutual coverage within their firing range.

The enemy towers and wall platforms on the Great Wall could only accommodate a few soldiers and mainly served sentry and shelter purposes. In emergencies, calling for reinforcements from afar wouldn’t resolve immediate threats. Therefore, many fortresses were built along the inner side of the wall — essentially military camps. These varied in size depending on the strategic importance of the wall section but were all located near the wall, forming a tactical network. Additionally, many beacon towers (called Yan Dun in the Ming Dynasty) were built along the wall, leading to the saying “a beacon every five li, a fortress every ten li.” Beacon towers served as alarm communication posts, while fortresses housed troops for defense.

Along the Great Wall, there were many important passes. Some lay between mountains, like Jiayuguan; others between rivers or mountains and sea, such as Shanhaiguan. Hence, they were referred to as Guanshan (Mountain Pass), Guanhe (River Pass), Guanjing (Ferry Pass), Guansai (Barrier Pass), Guan’ao (Mountain Pass), and Guankou (Pass). These were everyday access points and crucial strategic locations during wartime, where many famous ancient battles took place. The Ming Dynasty also built fortified pass cities at key points. These were constructed integrally with the passes and designed to be exceptionally sturdy and strategically sound. For example, Juyongguan within Beijing’s 30-li Guangu Valley had three layers of gates, earning the praise “Of the Nine Great Barriers, Juyong is one.” The world-renowned Shanhaiguan was lauded as “The Unique Key to Two Capitals, the First Pass of the Ten-Thousand-Li Wall.” Similarly, Shanxi’s Outer Three Passes — Yanmen, Ningwu, and Pianguan — and Hebei/Beijing’s Inner Three Passes — Zijing, Juyong, and Dama — all had formidable pass cities.

The towering, solid walls of the Ming Great Wall, the versatile enemy and wall towers, the troop garrisons, the alarm beacon towers, and the impregnable pass cities together formed a comprehensive and tightly-knit military defense system.