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Here on a steep slope, defensive walls rise in steps up to the watchtower. So if the enemy did make it to the top of the wall, the crucial watchtowers could be fiercely defended. The watchtowers themselves stand out beyond the wall so that archers could rain arrows down on any soldiers below. The tower had a covered area for the troops to keep warm, sleep and store weapons. In an open area at the top protected by battlements, the troops kept watch and could repel invaders. It is an amazing defense system, particularly when you see the terrain it was built over. This section is almost vertical as it climbs a mountain slope. Here, it's only a couple of feet wide and guards a drop of more than 1, 000 feet.
Determined that no barbarian would ever rule China again, the Ming fortified every inch of Chinese territory, lest small bands get through and open the gates to a large army. The Ming emperors were willing to bear any burden, pay any price to keep their dynasty in power.
And this is where they ruled from, the great Forbidden City in Beijing. With its gardens, halls, temples and palaces, the City sprawls over 180 acres, surrounded by a moat and formidable walls. The Forbidden City, a place of seclusion, a place where the godlike Ming emperors could rule and dwell without being inconvenienced by the ordinary citizens of his realm. Within its vermilion walls, existed a life unique in all of human history. At its center was the emperor, whose days were filled with the complicated rituals required of the ruler of China. If the rituals were carried out, the country would prosper and the Ming Dynasty would flourish.
Serving the emperor was an army of concubines, and guarding the concubines, an even larger army of eunuchs. One of the last of the Ming, Emperor Wanli(万历皇帝) was a weak monarch who managed to hold on to his throne for 47 years. Wanli ruled deep within his palace and was never seen by his people or his ministers, and rarely even by his eunuchs. Cut off from almost everyone, he had little idea of what was happening in the country he ruled. The Ming emperors were buried in tombs north of their capital Beijing.
battlement: parapet (portion above the roof) of the exterior wall of a fortification, consisting of alternating low portions (crenels) and high portions (merlons). Rooftop defenders would shoot from behind the merlons during times of siege
sprawl: spread out in a straggling or disordered fashion
vermilion: A vivid red to reddish orange. Also called Chinese red, cinnabar
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