Gubeikou Great Wall: Where History Comes to Life

By+XING+ZOU+DE+YU

GUBEIKOU is one of the many passes of the world famous Great Wall of China. As an ancient battlefield that has witnessed over 130 wars in history， the Gubeikou Great Wall sits like a battle-hardened general on the ridge of Yanshan Mountain north of Beijing. Even a glimpse of it from afar fills one with awe. In fact its imposing manner has attracted many Chinese history enthusiasts to hunt for traces of antiquity here， the most northeastern point of Beijing.

Gubeikou Town is located in the northeastern part of Miyun County， about 100 kilometers from downtown Beijing. It was an important passage between the Shanhai and Juyong passes， as well as a vital channel for exchanges between Beijing and Northeast China， a location that gives it great military signifi cance.

I often think that among the countless watchtowers along the Great Wall， those on the Gubeikou section bear the brightest torch of Chinese history： The area， at the gateway of Beijing， has witnessed many of the most signifi cant historical events of the country. Even today， some locals believe they can hear the battle cries of warriors at night in the deep mountains of Gubeikou.

Bullets in the Wall

When I arrived at the Gubeikou Great Wall， my guide Mr. Pang was waiting for me under the memorial archway in the town. Pang has a deep understanding of local culture in Gubeikou and the history of the Great Wall. As a result he was headhunted to work for the towns government. One of his responsibilities is to put on movies for rural residents.

In my childhood memories， watching movies in outdoor theaters was a sacred event in rural communities. In an open fi eld fi lled with the sounds of frogs croaking and crickets chirping， the images of beautiful stories were transported from film to screen at the hands of one person， the projectionist.

Of course， alongside the diversification of entertainment forms， playing movies in rural areas attracts less and less people these days. However， that doesnt affect Pangs passion for his job. Because in such a tranquil town surrounded by the Great Wall， the scenarios in some movies will magically interweave with the local environment. The ancient battlefi elds come to life. War and fi re， soul and fl esh， love and hate – such a montage of todays world and history is unlikely to be felt in any city theaters.

I accompanied Pang on his rounds of showing movies in local villages. Most of those he screened were old war films that I remember seeing as a child， and some newer childrens movies such as Shrek. But for me， the fi lms he projected were not the main event – after the crowds had left， Pang used his very old projector to show me some fascinating old photos.

The pictures were mostly authentic records by international journalists taken during the combat against Japanese aggression at Gubeikou in 1933. They depicted the most horrifying and sad moments of the war and it was hard to imagine how those international war correspondents were able to capture such images under such harsh conditions.

I saw images of the Sisters Beacon Towers – the lower one nestling against the taller one – beside the Chaohe River， villages that were bombed by the Japanese army， queues of Chinese and Japanese soldiers and even the Comfort Women， women and girls forced into prostitution by the Japanese army during WWII. As I watched the still pictures in the simplest of ways， I found I was sitting among the same backdrops as in the photos. It felt like a giant history book had been opened up in front of me.

Pang didnt utter a word from the very beginning. He then showed me a picture that I would never forget – a rusty bullet embedded in a brick of the Gubeikou Great Wall. Closer inspection of the bricks near where we were sitting revealed many shallow craters left by bullets， calling cards from history. When I saw that picture I felt as if I had been shot by the bullet. I felt disoriented amid the mountain ranges extending into the night. I pictured that segment of the Great Wall suffering a hail of bullets and the number of casualties of the bloody battles. At that moment， I understood what the old residents of the villages had said and I， too， felt I could hear the roaring on the battlefield from afar.

Historical？Significance？

In my opinion， Gubeikou is the most beautiful section of the Great Wall in Beijing. The Wohu（Crouching Tiger） Mountain towers above while the ridge of the Panlong （Curling Dragon） Mountain snakes along. The Gubeikou Great Wall is divided into two segments by the Chaohe River. Every brick in those dilapidated walls， crude and unadorned， has the power to transport visitors back to the old times and lets them feel the Great Walls majesty endowed by history.

With continuing social development， excessive renovation and reconstruction can often mask the true face of history. From that perspective， the Gubeikou Great Wall is rare and precious because this section of the wall is as history left it， unrestored.

The history of Gubeikou can be divided into three phases.

The first phase goes back to the period when the Song Dynasty fought the Jin regime of Jurchens（from the end of the 10th century to the beginning of the 11th century）. The story that the warriors of the Yang family defended northern China is a classic that has been passed from generation to generation till today. Three generations of the familys men had been commanders of the Song army， defending Songs northern border. One of them died at the Gubeikou Great Wall， and it is said his tomb lies on the Wohu Mountain.

The second phase is charted during the Wanli Period of the Ming Dynasty from 1573 to 1620. At that time， Qi Jiguang， a famous militarist， was entrusted to build the Great Wall in Gubeikou and he personally participated in its construction. The segment of the wall that he oversaw is incomparable in terms of sturdiness and ingenuity. Today， a stele that marked Qis effort in building the Gubeikou Great Wall is preserved in the towns exhibition hall. And an awe-inspiring statue of Qi stands high on Gubeikou Square.

The third phase is the war against Japanese intrusion in the 1930s. The Kuomintang 17th Corps launched a bloody battle in Gubeikou in 1933 to prevent the Japanese army invading Beijing.

Based on the understanding of the above historical phases， the following sites along the Gubeikou Great Wall are worth visiting.

The Linggong Temple， a shrine for Song marshal Yang Linggong （ca. 920s or 930s-986）， is said to be the earliest Yang Family temple and has been well preserved. The local villagers in Gubeikou Town are mostly descendents of the soldiers who defended the Great Wall in the past； therefore， they keep up the tradition of paying respect to their ancestors by visiting this temple.

The 24-Eye Watchtower （so called because it has 24 lookout points or “eyes”） is said to be where Qi Jiguang worked to manage the construction of the Great Wall. Although there is no hard evidence of this， something about the imposing manner and great craftsmanship of this tower， which outshines others on the Panlong Mountain range， compels me to believe it.

The Seven Martyrs Monument at the foot of the Maoer Mountain is also worth visiting. At the end of the combat at the Great Wall in 1933 the Chinese army had retreated and only seven warriors were left. Their stout resistance successfully countered many Japanese attacks. But in the end， the Japanese army threw grenades that killed all seven warriors. It is said that the monument was first built by the Japanese army， who took off their hats and saluted the dead heroes – warriors are respected by everyone， regardless of whether they are friend or foe. The green mountains of Gubeikou are the final resting place for many martyrs in history.

The Dahua Watchtower is on the best preserved part of the Great Wall built in the Northern Qi Dynasty （550-577）. The unique charm of Gubeikou is that it is the confluence site of the Northern Qi Great Wall and that of the Ming Dynasty. This is of great significance in the area of Great Wall research. The two sections of the Great Wall are like two arms that cradle Gubeikou Town in the middle.

The railway in Gubeikou was used to transport Japanese soldiers into Beijing along the Wohu Mountain valley， so it is also an important site when reviewing the history of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. In the past， I often took a train from Xizhimen Station in central Beijing to Gubeikou. However， these days， the train no longer stops at the town. From the perspective of tourism and culture， this is a great pity.

However， Gubeikou still retains its ancient look and many old buildings are well preserved. The old local post office is still open， where tourists can buy a postcard of the Great Wall， affix a Great Wall stamp and get a “Gubeikou” postmark. I think that is the perfect souvenir of a trip to the area.