Great Wall - Jiaoshan

About 4mi (6.4km) from Old Dragon’s Head, in the centre of a large town, was the old fortress Shanhaiguan (Shanhai Pass). Built by General Xu Da in 1381, it was fortified and expanded by General Qi Jiguang in 1583 to seal off passage from the Manchu tribes in the northeast. It was the most important pass on the Wall.

Shanhaiguan did a fine job safeguarding the country until years of drought and famine gave rise to numerous peasant rebellions. At the same time, the Ming armies were busy defending the northern borders from the Manchu tribes. It all came to a head in 1644 when the city of Beijing fell at the hands of the rebels. Hoping to oust the rebels and restore order, a powerful Ming general sought assistance from the Manchu leader. Forming an alliance, the general surrendered Shanhaiguan, essentially throwing the doors open for the Manchu to enter. However, the Manchu had their own agenda, and once through the Pass they set about conquering Beijing and replacing the Ming Dynasty. The Qing Dynasty was born and it ruled for nearly 300 years until it was abolished in 1912.

The fortress, in a near-square shape, had a barbican on its east side. Arrow towers used to be at each gate but only one remains today. The walls were made of rammed earth covered with bricks. Views of Jiaoshan Wall to the north and the sea to the south can be seen from the top of the east tower.

Jiaoshan Wall was outside the city and it was named after the highest peak north of Shanhai Pass. Its translation is ‘Horn Peak’. This is the Great Wall’s first mountain climb. Built during the reign of the first Ming emperor (c. 14thC), Jiaoshan sealed the access between Shanhai Pass and the mountainous region of the China-Manchuria border.

Jiaoshan was built of locally quarried materials. A small section, less than a mile, has been restored with wide paths leading up the mountain to the unrestored section, where the path began to narrow. Some of the battlements along the Wall were built on only one side, with steep cliffs providing natural defence on the other. A few of the watchtowers were so high that metal ladders were installed to provide access.

Proceeding up the mountain, Jiaoshan ended at the Big Flat Summit on Dapingding Peak. Here I was afforded views of Jiaoshan Wall and Shanhaiguan to the south, Changshou Mountain to the north and the substantial Shihe Reservoir to the west.



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