Photos! Datong Great Wall

[Ken]

Taken East of Datong, the circular Dome Shaped Tower, is this Ming?

[chinoook]

Originally Posted by Ken

Taken East of Datong, the circular Dome Shaped Tower, is this Ming?

Yes.


-chinoook

[Ken]

Please can you explain to us the reasons for the different structures in the towers? Thank you

[chinoook]

Originally Posted by Ken

Please can you explain to us the reasons for the different structures in the towers? Thank you

No, I can't. I wondered myself a lot of times about these round (probably early Ming) towers. In our opinion it is much more difficult to build a round tower than a squarish.
Possible explanations:

1. fashion (we even have to consider that)
2. available area for building the tower (round towers need less ground)
3. less material needed for a round tower
4. more stability (in respect to erosion)
5. other

-chinoook

[Kim]

Perhaps because a round tower is much stronger than a square or rectangular tower.

From the pictures is seems that the round towers are not connected the wall itself but is located at some distance. It that case it would make sense build a stronger round tower, since they to some extent might have to defend themselves. This might also explain why all the single towers in Liaoning are round.

A square tower connected to the wall was less vulnerable to enemy attack since it had the protection of the fortified wall, and it was easier to build and easier to utilise the internal space.