Ming Great Wall Frontier Defense

Timeline

1. 1368–1424North of Beiping (Beijing) · North ChinaIn the early Ming, repairs and additions were made on the site of the Yuan Great Wall; the Nine Frontiers garrisons including Beiping, Datong, and Xuanfu were established, combining military-agricultural colonies and the guards system to form an early northern defense network.
2. 1449–1460Tumu Fortress · HebeiThe Tumu Crisis exposed the weakness of the frontier defenses, with Esen's forces once reaching the gates of Beijing. After Yu Qian organized the defense of Beijing, the court hastened to strengthen the Xuan-Da and Ji-Liao routes, promoting reconstruction of passes along the Great Wall.
3. 1461–1470Great Wall sections at Datong and Xuanfu · North ChinaDuring the Chenghua Emperor's reign the court allocated grain and funds to build brick-and-stone walls at Datong, Xuanfu, and elsewhere, adding beacon towers and forming an in-depth 'wall-pass-tower' system; remains from this period constitute important sections of the Ming Great Wall today.
4. 1540–1580Ji Garrison · North ChinaDuring the Jiajing and Longqing reigns, pressure from Altan Khan's southward raids continued; Qi Jiguang oversaw troop training and tower construction at Ji Garrison, further perfecting the brick-and-stone structure of the eastern Great Wall, with wagon camps and beacon towers cooperating as the typical model of Ming northern defense.