| While the city walls were begun in 1416 under Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty, the arrow tower wasn't begun until 1436 and finished in 1440. The arrow tower was an additional defense added to the outside of the ceremonial gate. The ceremonial or actual gate had a superstructure of wood and was vulnerable in many ways. The arrow towers were added to all of the gates to provide better protection for the troops and a good vantage to fire upon attacking invaders. The tower is 30 meters tall and has 144 arrow holes or windows. It is the largest corner tower in China.
Each of the arrow or archery towers you will see in the series were based on a similar concept. The towers stood on a section of wall that jutted out from the main city wall. Behind the tower, there was a large open courtyard and then another gate to the city. If an attack made it through the gate, the defenders would have the invaders trapped in a confined space. The defenders would still hold the high ground on top of the walls and the military advantage.
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