Secret city - The Southeast corner watchtower of the Ming Wall

Check out the battle site of the Boxer Rebellion

Dating from the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), this fortification has withstood some spectacular events in history.

The most famous are the battles of the Boxer Rebellion in 1900, when the ‘Society of the Righteous and Harmonious Fists’ began their campaign to drive out foreigners, and started attacking embassies.

Eventually the Emperor declared war against the foreign powers, and many diplomats, foreign civilians, soldiers and Chinese Christians retreated to the Legation Quarter, two and a half kilometres west of the Southeast Corner Watchtower, where they held out for 55 days until 20,000 soldiers of the Eight Nation Alliance rescued them.

Due to its strategic location, the tower was one of the battle sites during the retaliation by the Eight Nations Alliance against the Chinese. Today, the names of the Chinese soldiers are carved into the tower’s stone walls. Wai Ting

Ming City Wall Ruins Park Chongwenmen Dong Dajie, Chongwen district. 明城墙遗址公 园, 崇文区崇文门东大街