Shaanxi Great Wall: Zhenbeitai Tower Yulin Great Wall
The Great Wall in Shaanxi Province mainly comprises the Great Walls of the Warring States Period (476BC - 221BC), the Qin Dynasty (221 BC - 207 BC) and the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644), distributed in 16 counties of Weinan, Yan'an, and Yulin Cities. The famous Shasnxi Great Walls are the Zhenbeitai Tower, Yulin Great Wall, and the Great Walls in Hancheng City.
Great Walls of the Western Zhou Dynasty
Han Great Wall
About 1031 BC, the governor of Han (a vassal state of the Western Zhou Dynasty, 11th Century BC - 771BC) built great walls along the state's border to defend from the invaders, which is believed to the earliest great wall for defense. The arc-shaped Han Great Wall totals 15 km from east to west, traversing two towns in Hancheng City. The Han Great Wall was built of earth and many parts were destroyed in the past three thousand years, but ruins and traces of the wall can still be found. A 2,871-meter-long wall was discovered in Chengnan Village, and the remaining part is 0.5 - 2.5 meters in height, and 5 meters in width.
Great Wall of the Spring and Autumn Period
Liang Great Wall
The Liang Great Wall was constructed by the governor of Liang (a state of the Spring and Autumn Period) about 2,700 years ago in Nanzhichuan and Longting Towns of Hancheng City. Built of rammed earth, the wall stretched for 11 km, covering over 10 villages. After thousand of years of erosion, five sections of the Liang Great Wall can still be found. The longest one is 1,650-meter-long, 2-meter-high, and 2.5 in width.
Great Wall of the Warring States Period
Wei Great Wall
Wei Great Wall was built around 385 BC by Wei State. It is recorded that the Wei Great Wall originated from the Chaoyuan Cave at the foot of Mount Hua, extending over 140 km all the way to the north, through the bank of Yellow River and Luohe River, and finally to the Fuxian County in northern Shaanxi Province. It was also called Wei West Great Wall for it was constructed along the western border of the Wei State. A 22-kilometer-long Wei Great Wall has been discovered in Hancheng City. In some well-preserved sections, there are even the traces of beacon towers.
Qin Great Wall
The traces and ruins of beacon towers of the Qin Great Wall of the Warring States Period were discovered in Shenmu, Jingbian and Henshan Counties of Yulin City. According to historical records, the Qin Great Wall was built to prevent the invasion of Linhu Tribe from the north. The wall and beacon towers were built with earth and rubble. Relics of tiles were also found along the Qin Great Wall.
Great Wall of the Qin Dynasty
After he unified the country, Emperor Qin Shihuang ordered a Great Wall be built in the north to prevent the northern invaders. The Qin Great Wall in Shaanxi Province was connected with two other great walls of the Warring States Period, Zhao Great Wall and Yan Great Wall, composing the Great Wall of the Qin Dynasty.
Great Wall of the Ming Dynasty
The Great Wall of the Ming Dynasty stretches for 880 km (547 miles) from the western bank of Yellow River in Fugu County all the way to the west to the eastern border of Yanchi County in Ningxia, traversing Fugu, Shenmu, Yulin, Hengshan, Jingbian, Yan'an, and Dingbian, in Northern Shaanxi Province. The Great wall of the Ming Dynasty in Shaanxi can be divided into three sections: the eastern section, the middle section and western section. The part in Yulin also served also as one of the Yulin city walls, therefore, relics of walls, beacon towers, guard towers and abutment walls can be found in Yulin. The Zhenbeitai Tower in Yulin is the largest beacon tower along the Great Wall, and is considered the 'premier tower of the Great Wall'.
The Great Walls in Shaanxi have seen great changes in the past three thousands years, but they are in a poor condition due to natural erosion and damage done by local people. Many parts have disappeared, and the remaining parts are dilapidated, so protection and renovation of the Great Walls in Shaanxi is an urgent requirement.
Shaanxi Great Wall Photos: Yulin Great Wall Photos
