Photo Gallery

Tuan Cheng Fortress (late 18th century)

Tuan Cheng is a military training center built in the 18th century by the Emperor Qianlong. Here, soldiers trained in a castle-like compound in preparation for an invasion of Sichuan. The training prepared the soldiers for battle against heavily armed defenders fortified in watchtowers, which the soldiers feared with nearly supernatural awe. The first image shows a watchtower upon which the generals would shout orders to the troops massed in the field below. In the end, the campaign succeeded, and Sichuan remains a part of China to this day.

At the time of our visit, the facility was undergoing a number of repairs, including the shoring-up of bricks damaged by the elements. The air in the countryside here is very polluted (note the pervasive smog) and damaging to the stone walls.