Home >> Great Wall Construction >> Great Wall Passes
Great Wall Passes
The Great Wall served as the natural barrier for the safety of inner China in ancient times. Generally speaking, Great Wall passes are composed of a city wall, city gate, gate tower, luocheng, wengcheng, and moat. Passes are often located in the key position of the Great Wall, to get the effect of "if one man guards the pass, tens of thousand never want to get through".City wall: It is the main component of the Great Wall pass, often measures about 33 feet tall. The outside of the wall was laid by pieces of large bricks or stones with the inner comprising of yellow earth and debris.
City Gate: In peace time, it is the passageway for soldiers passing in and out. At war, it is used for the exit to counter attack enemies. Many gates are carved the name of the pass. Inside the opening, a pair of wooden doors stand there which are covered by sheet iron on the outside. The inner sides of the doors are secured by big bolts and lock holes. Even machineries are hidden inside to kill the intruders.
Wengcheng: A small enclosure which is built on the outer side of the Great Wall. It serves as another line of the city wall to strengthen the defensibility of the city gate.
Luocheng: It is a secondary wall built to protect the Wengcheng which is often the main target of enemies.
Moat: There is usually a moat around the Great Wall pass. It is a deep trench filled with water after excavation to build the pass. Being another line of defense, it increases the difficulty for enemies to attack the city and creates opportunities for soldiers on the wall to attack intruders.
Great Wall Construction List:
Beacon Towers
Construction Material
Great Wall Fortifications
Great Wall Passes
Walls
Labor Force
Principle & Method
Terrain & Structure