the mutianyu section of the great wall, 70 kilometers northeast of beijing, is linked to the gubeikou section on the east and the badaling section on the west. it is one of the best sections of the great wall.

the mutianyu section of the great wall is crenelatted for watching and shooting at the invading enemy. some of the battle forts on the wall are as close as 50 metres apart.

jinshanling section

located in miyun county northeast of beijing, the jinshanling division of the great wall, like the simatai division, belongs to the gubeikou section of the colossal defence barrier.

the battlements in the jinshanling division of the great wall are built along the ridge of a mountain, where the soldiers can resist the invading enemy by taking advantage of the high terrain.

a decrepit battle fort at dusk often reminds one of the battles in ancient times.共2页12

simatai section

located to the east of jinshanling, the simatai division of the great wall is 3,000 metres long and has 35 battle forts. the wall rises and falls with the precipitous mountain ridge, while the battle forts are located high up the hills.

alarm was raised by means of smoke signals, at night by fire. smoke was produced by burning a mixture of wolf dung, sulfur and saltpeter. shots were fired at the same time. thus an alarm could be relayed over 500km within just a few hours.

the great wall in four seasons