The Ming Dynasty was another peak in the construction of the Great Wall after the Qin and Han Dynasties. The engineering technology and architectural structure of the Great Wall were far more difficult than those of previous dynasties. After Zhu Yuanzhang occupied the Yuan capital, he sent General Xu Da to build the Great Wall and deploy military defenses in the north. In the second year of the Ming Yongle period (1404), Mutianyu Pass was built, located on the east side of Mutianyu Village, and the city gate plaque "Mutiangu Pass" still exists and is now preserved in the Great Wall Cultural Exhibition Center. Mutianyu was originally called "Motianyu" and was renamed Mutianyu after the Ming Dynasty.
The "Zhengguantai" at the narrow pass of the Great Wall is the outpost of Mutianyu Pass, consisting of three watchtowers standing side by side. The two side towers are smaller, while the middle tower is wider. There are three observation pavilions on top of the three watchtowers. The gate is not set in the center of the city tower, but on the east side, with steps built along the steep slope for entry and exit. The unique gate architecture is rare in other sections of the Great Wall. The "Jigong Timing" monument excavated from the old city general's yamen in Bohai Su Village is inscribed with the words "Daming Longqing Lu Nian Sui Ren Shen Qiu Dan Li". This monument proves that Mutianyu Great Wall belongs to the Ming Dynasty. The "Jigong Timing" monument is now located in front of the Yanjing Calligraphy and Painting Society in the scenic area.
Mutianyu Great Wall is an important pass of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall. With the rise of Beijing's status and the changes in the military situation in the north, the subordinate relationship of Mutianyu Great Wall has also undergone significant changes. From the perspective of the Great Wall defense command system, in the early Ming Dynasty, Mutianyu Great Wall was under the jurisdiction of Jizhen. After the middle of the Ming Dynasty, Changzhen was added to strengthen the management and command of the Great Wall in the Beijing area, and Mutianyu Great Wall was placed under the jurisdiction of Changzhen. The famous southern general Qi Jiguang was transferred to command Jizhou, Changping, Liaodong, and Baoding. Qi Jiguang established a complete set of command and management systems, strengthening and improving the defense function of the Great Wall. In the Mutianyu Great Wall section, Bohai Guard Thousand Households Office, Mutianyu City, and Mutianyu Fort (Pass) were established. The Guard Thousand Households Office belongs to the third level of the Great Wall command and management system, while the Pass belongs to the fourth level. The dense presence of guard posts and forts in such a short distance is enough to illustrate the importance of this place.
In the middle of the Ming Dynasty, due to the increasing threat of northern nomadic tribes to Beijing, in order to strengthen defense, under the leadership of Governor Tan Lun and General Qi Jiguang of "Jizhen", the Great Wall in the north and east of Beijing was reinforced, and a large number of bricks were used to build the old border walls, increasing the height and thickness of the city walls.
In addition, Qi Jiguang also requested the construction of 22 hollow watchtowers and 44 buildings, including 3 official halls and 149 storehouses, at Mutianyu Pass to further strengthen and improve the defensive function of the Great Wall. This period was an important stage in the construction history of Mutianyu Great Wall, during which watchtowers were built on the Great Wall to store food, weapons, and provide housing for soldiers guarding the Great Wall. "Two towers correspond to each other, and the left and right support each other," which perfected the architectural structure of the Great Wall.
During the Ming Dynasty's reconstruction of Mutianyu Great Wall, battlements were added on both sides of the wall, and rolling logs, stones, and thunderbolt holes were newly set up for both attack and defense. The construction of "Knife Handle Watchtower" could control the high point and reduce the threat to the main city. Mutianyu Great Wall starts from the left side of the main pass and turns with the mountain terrain towards the distance.
During the Ming Dynasty's renovation process, the Mutianyu Great Wall section was known for its fine construction and unique architectural style. Today, "Main Pass", "Big Corner Tower", "Bald Tail End", "Ox Horn Corner", "Single Side", "Nine-Eye Tower", "Clamp Tower", and other unique architectural styles in the Mutianyu Great Wall Scenic Area are the most characteristic structures in China's military defense engineering. These unique architectural styles are integrated into the dangerous natural terrain, not only with high historical and engineering scientific value, but also with outstanding aesthetic and viewing value. According to statistics, from the "Hongwu" period to the "Wanli" period of the Ming Dynasty, Mutianyu Great Wall was rebuilt 18 times. Mutianyu Great Wall plays a direct role in defending the safety of the imperial tomb, and is a strategically important fortress and a famous pass in the military. It has become the most solid and magnificent section of the Ming Great Wall.
From the existing Ming Great Wall ruins, the Great Wall, which stretches for thousands of miles from Shanhaiguan, winds and twists on the Jundu Mountain in the southern foot of the Yanshan Mountains in the northern suburbs of Beijing, forming a semi-circular military barrier from east to west. Mutianyu Great Wall and the pass are located between the "Jizhen" Great Wall's ancient Beikou and Juyongguan, facing each other with dangerous peaks. The architectural characteristics of the Great Wall "using danger to block the pass" make the Great Wall architecture and the landscape complement each other, making the strong even stronger and the dangerous even more dangerous. Mutianyu Great Wall stands tall with numerous watchtowers, beacon towers, and solid walls, representing the most typical and representative section of the essence of the Ming Great Wall.
From the perspective of the spatial distribution pattern of the Great Wall, the Ming Dynasty strengthened and improved the defense of the capital region by relying on natural barriers such as the Taihang Mountains, Yanshan Mountains, and the Yellow River. They reinforced and rebuilt the inner and outer walls of the Great Wall, forming a defense system that was mutually supportive and vertically unified. The hub and branching points connecting the inner and outer walls of the Great Wall during the Ming Dynasty were located in the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall.
In the first year of the Shunzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1644), the Qing court continued to use the Ming system and stationed heavy troops at 19 passes such as Mutianyu Pass and Shitang Road in the Huairou area. After the Qing Dynasty established Beijing as its capital, Mutianyu Pass was still regarded as a barrier to the capital and was guarded by a defense city envoy and a commander-in-chief who led heavy troops to garrison various military strongholds and passes.
