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Linhai "Southern Great Wall of China" (September 2010)
ENTRANCE STEPS TO THE WALL, NEAR LINHAI CITY CENTER
LOOKING BACK, DOWN THE STEPS AND OVER "EAST LAKE"
REACHING THE TOP OF THE FIRST VERTICAL RISE
AT THIS TOWER THE WALL TAKES A TURN WESTWARD
BEGINNING THE LONG STRETCH
WINDING ALONG THE RIDGE OF THE MOUNTAIN
MARKING THE NORTHERN BORDER OF LINHAI CITY
LOOKING BACK DOWN (WITH TELEPHOTO-LENSE)
TOWARD LINHAI CITY AND EAST LAKE
FREQUENT REQUESTS FROM PEOPLE TO TAKE THEIR PICTURE WITH WESTERNERS
LOOKING BACK (WITH TELEPHOTO LENSE) TOWARD THE FIRST TOWER
THIS CANON POINTING TOWARDS THE NORTH
SOME VIEWS FROM OUTSIDE THE WALL AT THIS LOCATION
THIS IS A REMOTE 'NORTHERN' GATE TO THE WALL
IT IS THE ONLY GATE ANYWHERE NEAR THIS STRETCH OF THE WALL
TO ME IT SEEMS LIKE A 'BACK DOOR' TO ANCIENT LINHAI
ON THE CITY SIDE HERE IT IS MOSTLY FOREST
VERY FEW PEOPLE FIND THEIR WAY TO THIS LOCATION OUTSIDE THE WALL
(There is no access on / off the wall here,
though ancient of / off access stairs have been mostly blocked,
allowing restricted entry to the wall for paying guests
who support it's restoration and upkeep)
SOME BOYS WHO WERE VERY FRIENDLY
THIS PART IS TOTALLY RECONSTRUCTED
IT IS IN THE SAME STYLE OF OTHER STRUCTURES
BUILT AT HIGH VANTAGE POINTS
USED IN ANCIENT TIMES TO MAKE OFFERINGS TO GODS
TRADITIONAL GUARDIAN LIONS
THE NEAR ONE IS FEMALE (WITH HER BABY AT HER FEET) AND THE OTHER IS THE MALE
THIS BUILDING MARKS THE POINT WHERE THE WALL TURNS SOUTHWARD
NOW THE WALL STARTS A DESCENT
OUT OF THE MOUNTAIN AND TOWARDS THE RIVER
LOOKING BACK AT THIS AREA (VIEW FROM BELOW)
THIS AREA OF THE WALL AS VIEWED FROM THE BRIDGE ACROSS THE RIVER
HERE STARTS THE SECTION OF THE WALL RUNNING ALONG THE RIVER
WHICH MARKS THE WESTERN EDGE OF LINHAI
AND THEN TURNS ALONG THE SOUTHERN EDGE OF LINHAI
(My camera was full here,and so not many pictures of the following areas!)
THE WALL CAN BE SEEN TO STRETCH OUT PARALLEL TO THE RIVER
VERY STRAIGHT AND LEVEL AS IT MARKS THE WESTERN EDGE OF LINHAI CITY
A CLOSE VIEW OF A "BARBICAN" BUILT FOR DEFENSIVE PURPOSES
(There are several of these along the river's edge of the wall)
THE ENTRANCE THROUGH THIS BARBICAN
AND THEN INTO THE ANCIENT AREA OF LINHAI CITY
THE WESTERN CITY GATE
(always very busy)
THE WESTERN CITY GATE VIEWED FROM INSIDE LINHAI CITY
(the bridge across the river can be seen beyond the gate)
LOCAL HIGH-SCHOOL STUDENTS OFTEN DO THEIR EXERCISES IN THIS AREA
BEGINNING THE SOUTHERN SECTION OF THE WALL
THE FREQUENT 'FOOD-DRYING' (MOSTLY OF VARIOUS GRAINS) CAN BE SEEN HERE
APPROACHING THE HILL WITHIN LINHAI NEXT TO THE MAIN BUDDIST TEMPLE
THE MAIN SOUTHERN GATE OF LINHAI CITY
THE BEGINNING OF THE ANCIENT STREETS CAN BE SEEN JUST THROUGH THE GATE
THE AREA IN THIS BARBICAN IS USED FOR VARIOUS BUDDIST RITUALS,
USUALLY INVOLVING BURNING VARIOUS PAPER PRAYERS AND REPRESENTATIONS OF SPIRITS
(remains of the recent burning rituals can be seen)
LOOKING BACK TOWARDS THE LONG SOUTHERN SECTION OF THE WALL
RUNNING PARALLEL TO THE RIVER
THIS MARKS THE BEGINNING OF THE "FREE ACCESS" AREA
(no fee is charged to enter this area of the wall)
TO THE RIGHT (city side) IS THE MAIN BUDDIST TEMPLE OF LIHNAI CITY
LOOKING BACK
A GREAT VIEW OF ONE OF THE GRAIN-CLEANING MACHINES
BEING USED FREQUENTLY MY MANY PEOPLE WHO DRY THEIR GRAIN IN THE SUN
THE LOCATION WHICH MOST PEOPLE MIGHT CALL "THE END OF THE WALL"
(near the south-eastern corner of the ancient city of Linhai)
HOWEVER FURTHER INVESTIGATION (see below) REVEALS MORE TRACES OF THE ANCIENT WALL
HERE, PART OF THE OLDER, LESS MAINTAINED, PART OF THE WALL CAN BE SEEN
SOME LOCAL PEOPLE USE THIS FOR A GARDEN AREA
THIS GATE-HOUSE MARKS THE TRUE SOUTH-EASTERN CORNER OF ANCIENT LINHAI CITY
THE LOWER PHOTO SHOWS HOW THE MODERN RETAINER WALL CONTINUES FROM THIS POINT
BUILT TO PROTECT THE NEWER AREAS OF LINHAI CITY FROM RIVER FLOODING
EVEN MORE ANCIENT, FORGOTTEN, AREAS OF THE ANCIENT WALL CAN BE FOUND
(though, it took a bit of searching to find this last relic!)
THE 'FORGOTTEN' WALL IS A GREAT PLACE FOR A GARDEN!!
CONTINUING INTO THE MAIN AREA OF THE CITY,
THE WALL NO LONGER STANDS
THE ONLY REMAINING PART IS THE GREAT "EASTERN GATE"
- THE ENTRANCE TO THE ANCIENT PART OF THE CITY -
THE EASTERN GATE TO THE OLD CITY
IS NOW LOCATED IN THE CENTRAL PART OF MODERN LINHAI CITY
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