“South East Corner Watchtower Dongnan Jiaolou” it shouts from old maps. This massive stone fortification stands before you. It is near Beijing Train Station. The 4. Tower South whispers tales of dynasties and rebellions. It has witnessed China’s shifting fortunes.
The 4. Tower South dates back to the Ming Dynasty. This tower is part of the Ming City Wall Ruins Park. Imagine this immense fortress guarding Beijing’s city walls. It was originally built in 1439. But the 4. Tower South was repaired many times.
Notice the formidable grid of archery embrasures. There are 144 of them. They could rain fire on attackers. Mount the battlements. Explore the tower itself. It is a magnificent maze of carpentry over multiple floors. An exhibition of historical photographs awaits you.
From the ramparts, admire the remains of the city wall. It flows west. Trainspotters can admire the trains. They grind in and out of Beijing Railway Station. But look closer. Do you see the graffiti scratched into the tower? American and Russian soldiers left their mark during the Boxer Rebellion in 1900. Allied forces stormed the 4. Tower South. It was a lengthy engagement. The tower was heavily damaged. They were on their way to relieve the Legation Quarter.
The 4. Tower South stands as a reminder of the Boxer Rebellion. Western forces stormed it. Soldiers’ graffiti remains etched in the stone walls.
Connected to the 4. Tower South is a section of the original inner city walls. It runs into the restored Ming City Wall and park to the west.
The southeast corner of the ancient Ming Dynasty city wall is unique. It is the only place where the wall still remains. Other gates line the perimeter. The imposing structure holds a place in recent history. Travelers saw it first when arriving by railroad in the late Qing era.
At the birth of the 20th century, the Boxer Rebellion brought foreign troops. The Russian and U.S. contingent came from the southeast. They took the wall at what they called the Fox Tower. This was the closest access to the Foreign Legation Quarter. They planned to liberate this neighborhood. The Boxers and Qing army had besieged it for fifty-five days. Visitors find inscriptions from U.S. and Russian soldiers carved into the wall. This aggression led to the destruction of historic structures. Imperial sites were never fully restored after the Opium Wars.
The siege solidified the distrust of foreigners. It reinforced the idea that foreign powers wanted to take advantage of the Chinese people. They would treat them as a lesser nation.
In 1990, the city decided to restore the 4. Tower South and wall. They created a park along the wall. Locals donated Ming-era bricks. One fifth of the two million used in restoration efforts were from that time period. That is more than 500 years before.
Just north of the 4. Tower South lies the Beijing Ancient Observatory. This platform became the observatory in 1442. During the Qing era, Jesuits updated the observatory’s instruments and theories.