The Ming Great Wall in Lingwu

　　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, it was linked together to form the Great Wall stretching thousands of miles. The Han and Ming dynasties later carried out large-scale reconstructions. The sheer scale of the project and its majestic presence make it one of the wonders of the world. As time passes and things change, when you now visit the ruins of the ancient Great Wall, you can not only witness the grandeur of the Wall winding through mountains and ridges, but also appreciate the great wisdom and courage of the Chinese nation in shaping history. Hence, the Great Wall is also regarded as a symbol of the Chinese nation.

　　Ningxia has long been known as the “Great Wall Museum.” 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 defense needs, rulers of the Qin, Han, Sui, and Ming dynasties all built sections of the Great Wall in Lingzhou and stationed troops here, relocating settlers for garrison and farming. Among these, the Ming Dynasty Great Wall within Lingwu’s territory 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 plateaus, and meandering eastward before stretching across the vast Ordos Plateau.

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

　　The Ming Great Wall in Lingwu was completed in 1474 AD. It starts from the north bank of the Yellow River at Hengcheng and 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 lying within Lingwu. Historical records indicate that two sections of the Great Wall were built in Lingwu: one during the Sui Dynasty and one during the Ming Dynasty. Both were constructed using local materials, mainly 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 west of the river to Suide in the east, to block incursions by nomadic tribes.” During the Ming Dynasty, to defend against invasions by the Tatars and Oirats, the court carried out large-scale reconstruction on the foundation of the Sui Dynasty Great Wall. The Ming Great Wall was referred to as the “Frontier Wall.” Historical records state that in the eighth year of the Chenghua era (1472 AD), Yu Zilong, the provincial governor and right 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 the completion of the wall. In the intercalary sixth month of that year, under the direction of Xu Tingzhang, the governor of Ningxia, and Fan Jin, the garrison commander, the full connection of the frontier wall was preliminarily achieved. In October of the tenth year of Chenghua, an earthquake in Lingzhou, Ningxia, caused 10–20% 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. During the Hongzhi era, Zhang Zhenshu and Wang [name unclear], governors of Ningxia, dug over 44,000 “品”-shaped pits outside the wall to prevent enemy cavalry from approaching. In the area around Heishuigou at Hongshanzhuang Fort, the trenches were two zhang deep and wide. In the first year of the Zhengde era (1506 AD), during an inspection of Xia and Sui, there was a proposal to rebuild the East of the River Wall, and soon after, Yang Yiqing, the commander of the Three Frontiers, requested and received approval for reconstruction. In the tenth year of the Jiajing era (1531 AD), Wang Qiong, the commander of the Three Frontiers, was responsible for reconstructing the wall from the banks of the Yellow River at Hengcheng in the west to Huamachi in the east, converting it into a “deep trench and high rampart” system spanning 360 li. The original wall east of Xingwuying was abandoned, and a new wall 54 li long was built 10 li to the south, called the “First Wall,” while the old wall became the “Second Wall.” The Ming Great Wall, along with nearby garrison forts, formed an effective military defense system against foreign invasions, playing a significant role in military defense at the time. Take Hongshanzhuang Fort as an example: here, the Great Wall, garrison fort, and troop-concealing caves formed a three-in-one, multi-layered defensive system capable of attack, defense, and concealment — a major innovation in ancient Chinese military defense. The Ming Great Wall, as a military barrier, had a highly developed structure and defense facilities. After the completion of the East of the River Wall, four gateways were established. To the east of Huamachi Fort, the Great Wall Pass served as the command center — a towering tower inscribed with carvings such as “Natural Moat of Shuofang” and “Eagle-Eyed Watchfulness.” Qingshuiying had one gateway with a tower above, offering commanding views. To the west, Ninghe Platform was built to guard the river crossing and protect the Great Wall. The Wall featured various military structures such as watchtowers, wall platforms, and beacon towers. Every 100–200 meters, a protruding wall platform was built so that no blind spots existed at the base of the rampart, allowing for flanking attacks. The watchtowers stood higher than the wall, enabling visual communication in all directions. Some critical areas had circumvallation watchtowers housing up to 20 soldiers. On the inner side of the East of the River Wall, 29 fortress towns were built. The Lingwu garrison had 113 beacon towers spaced every five li. At night, fires were lit; during the day, smoke signals were used. If a small number of enemies (a few to a hundred) were spotted, one beacon fire and one signal shot were released; 500 enemies triggered two beacons and two shots; 1,000 enemies, three beacons and three shots; 5,000 enemies or more, four beacons and four shots; and 10,000 or more enemies, five beacons and five shots. Beacon staff were assigned, equipped with flags, drums, crossbows, ladders, stones, gunpowder, rockets, wolf dung, cow dung, firewood, and more. Soldiers kept watch day and night, while major camps along the line housed heavy troops, with ample supplies of provisions, weapons, and equipment. Surveillance, patrolling, communication, and troop deployment were all well-coordinated, maintaining constant military readiness. From the 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, demonstrating the immense labor invested by ancient soldiers and civilians.

　　The suffering was immense. During the Zhengde era, Feng Qing, governor of Ningxia, wrote the poem “The Hardships of Frontier People,” which truthfully documented the unbearable corvée labor and heavy taxes endured by the frontier populace during the Ming Dynasty, as well as the resulting exodus and displacement.

　　The construction of the East of the River Wall created two pathways: one along the top of the Wall, wide enough for five horses to walk abreast, where patrolling soldiers traveled year-round and supplies were transported. The second was an inner transportation road, kept safe by the stationed troops, which saw continuous traffic of merchants and goods. According to the "Records of Northern Barbarian Incidents," “In July and August of 1529 (the eighth year of the Jiajing era), 26,000 dan of wheat and beans were transported along this road to Huamachi — such a massive volume of transport was truly rare.” The construction of this inner road also objectively boosted the local economy.

　　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 — fertile lands were situated inside the Wall to restrict grazing by nomads, while sandy areas were left outside.

　　The construction adapted to local conditions and utilized available materials. On flat terrain, soil was excavated outside the wall to form broad moats, making the ramparts appear even more towering and preventing enemies from approaching. The excavated soil also created wide service roads on the inner side. In mountainous areas, walls were built along cuttings into hillsides, with soil taken from the exterior to increase height. Critical sections used red willow and other vegetation reinforced with wooden frames and compacted layers of rammed earth, resulting in exceptional durability. Even today, these remnants reflect the long history and splendid culture of ancient Lingzhou.