Daily Life in China                  

Attacking the Great Wall of China:

  Everyone who sees the Great Wall has a few seconds of imaginings of what it would be like to attack the Great Wall. Here's some detail for the armchair general who would like to attack and win.  With no surprises you can plan a devistating attack and rule China.

First: Just getting to the Great Wall is difficult.  Below is the terrain to the north from where you'd have to traverse.  Several ranges make a natural obsticle for your men all of which would be heavily defended with prepositioned defenders. The mountains are filled with grass and low scrub brush and no defence from the showers of arrows awaiting your men.

To the left is a circular pill box type structure defensive position.  Almost impossible to attack in numbers due to the steep assent.  The defensive position would be fairly secure throught the attach and supply considerable harrasement for attacking troups from in front, the sides and behind during their attack.

After you get to the base this is what your men would be looking at, a steep final assault with no cover.

Because of the ribbon like wondering of the wall over the ridge tops the wall folds back and forth giving clear shot of the backs of attackers.  This is the view from one of the watch towers.  An attack would be comming from the north which is to the left here.

Many spots along the wall have an outcropping wall as shown in the two shots below.  Your men would have to subdue the outcropping wall's defenders to proceed with attacking the main wall.  You might even think your attaching the main wall only to find you've breached an outcropping, hard luck.

Starting point of an outcropping.

Once you get on the wall defenders would pour from the right and left so must be subdued.  This shot shows the defencive shield walls leading to a tower.

This is the view your men would have as they approach the stairs.  First they would be showered with arrows from the wall holes, possibly in a crossfire from the opposing stair case.

If your men make it to the stair walls the defenders would when pop out from behind the wall attacking with their swords.  Your men would be attacked from the front and back as the tower in back has a clear view of your men.  Below, modern reconstruction without holes.

Old unrestored section.