Shenweilou

[andarchen]

Originally Posted by Kim

This is the small house on the top (any name for this kind of construction?).

Loulu( 楼橹) is its chinese name , a shelter for hiding freeze weather and storm , Gerneral Qiqiguang(戚继光) considered soldiers suffering from bad weather ,then sent a proposal to king to add it on all top of towers .

And the small hole under shooting arrows window as Chinoook asked is used for dropping thunder stone( stone bomb), i rembered i had mentioned it here .

[Kim]

One of Kim's photos as picture 1 below ,there are two square holes under both side of arrow hole on sidewall of Shenweilou,they were called Leishikou(Chinese:雷石口 , English:The hole for dropping the thunder stone), besides Leishicao(Chinese:雷石槽 English:The beveled groove for dropping the hunder stone) was carved beneath Leishikou .
The thunder stone is a weapon made by round or rectangular stone filled with powder as picture 2&3,
You can see more Leishicaos were blocked on Simartai GW as picture 4 , Picture 5 is viewing from Leishicao above .

I'm currently trying to sort all my Great Wall photos, and looking at Baiyangyu I can see that these grooves (Leishicao) are also very common on the east side of the pass but only close to the pass. Further away there is no groove.

[andarchen]

Originally Posted by Kim

I'm currently trying to sort all my Great Wall photos, and looking at Baiyangyu I can see that these grooves (Leishicao) are also very common on the east side of the pass but only close to the pass. Further away there is no groove.

Maybe most battles happen near pass , you study really hard

[Kim]

Originally Posted by andarchen

Maybe most battles happen near pass , you study really hard

Yes, it makes perfect sense

Baiyangyu is a good example of how the pass area was more heavily defended than other areas.

[david Hodges]

kim the photo's are great i hope to go there one day soon