Manning the defenses

The late Luo Zhewen, scholar of ancient architecture, once commented that the Great Wall in Guyang represents the earliest iteration of the Great Wall in China. The section is strategically located and has a unique structure and has been well-preserved ever since.

Dong Yaohui, executive vice-chairman of the China Great Wall Association, says that principles followed in building the Great Wall in later dynasties, like building forts in harsh terrain and using local materials, were already seen in Guyang.

He believed it was the relatively little human activity in the area that accounted for the survival of the Great Wall over the course of two millennia.

When cultural relics preservation experts came to rescue the wall in 2004, Luo was responsible for carrying water and supplies for experts and the construction team who were living near the site.

Tired of waiting long hours doing nothing in his automobile, after completing his work, Luo would watch the experts working on site.

They would introduce to him what they were doing, explaining their process and the terms that he still uses today.

For example, a major part of the restoration was to sort out the wall's foundations, collect collapsed stones, and put them back on the wall, making them staggered and lap jointed — an enduring technique used by the Great Wall builders to make a structure more solid and that is still in use today.