Qin ordered the soldiers to protect the great wall from the watch towers and from along the wall, there were 7,000 watch towers that helped protect the great wall. Qin also set up towns next to the great wall and there would be soldiers there living with there armor and if there were ever to be an invasion they would come straight out of the towns and villages and protect the wall. there were at lest 1 million soldiers layed out to protect the wall and some were in the towns as well.
As a strategic defensive system, the Great Wall was certainly a formidable obstacle. But more than just bricks and mortar, the success on The Great Wall relied on the soldiers who guarded it. At its peak, the Ming Wall was defended along its length by at least a million soldiers, most of them lived in structures on the Wall itself. The regional commanders lived in the main garrison towns nearby. Many imagine soldiers staring off the distance all day looking for enemy movements. But since one of the operational goals was to ensure that all garrisons could be full of food supplies through local settlements, less than a third of a soldier’s time was spent on actual military duties. Instead, most of his time was spent working the nearby fields. farming for food , however, was another matter, especially during the winter. For instance, in 1453, there were reports of many observation crews who deserted their posts because of lack of food.
The Ming watchtowers were critical components of the Great Wall—used only for observation and signaling. Built about 200 yards apart, the elaborate watchtowers stood over 40 feet tall. Soldiers would watch for any enemy movements on the top, the bottom was used to store food and equipment, as well as used as living quarters.
The Ming watchtowers were critical components of the Great Wall—used only for observation and signaling. Built about 200 yards apart, the elaborate watchtowers stood over 40 feet tall. Soldiers would watch for any enemy movements on the top, the bottom was used to store food and equipment, as well as used as living quarters.