Ming Dynasty Beijing City Wall System

Timeline

1. 1420–1425Beijing · BeijingThe Yongle Emperor relocated the capital to Beijing, rebuilding the inner city's brick walls on the foundation of Yuan Dadu, establishing nine gates, barbicans, and moats, laying down the basic form of Ming capital defense.
2. c. 1450–1540Nine Gates of Beijing Inner City · BeijingThe gate towers, archer towers, and barbican systems of the nine gates, including Zhengyang and Chongwen, were gradually perfected; walls were faced with bricks, with mantlets and crenellations complete, forming the largest brick-and-stone city defense in North China.
3. 1550–1560Southern City, Beijing · BeijingWith Altan Khan's Mongol forces at the gates and wokou harassing the coast, the court in the 29th year of Jiajing proposed building an outer city, incorporating the Southern City commercial district into the city defenses; this stage was one of planning and preliminary construction.
4. 1564–1644Inner and Outer Cities of Beijing · BeijingThe outer city was largely completed in the 43rd year of Jiajing, forming a convex-shaped city outline; Yongding Gate linked the inner and outer cities, with barbicans, crescent-shaped outer walls, and moats forming an in-depth defense, remaining intact until the fall of the Ming.