Imperial Defense

        The Manchu's successful use of military power to conquer China gave them a strong appreciation for the importance of defense. They fortified major cities and other strategic points in the empire's transportation network, and bolstered these defenses with detachments of the Banner and Green Standard armies. They constructed gun emplacements along the coastline, which they staffed with naval units. In Manchuria, Mongolia, Sinkiang, and other frontier areas, the government established outposts to protect and keep watch on the borderlands. They also built a network of courier routes and stations that spanned the empire, dispatched military units on regular tours of inspection, and maintained a constant flow of written memoranda between the capital and provincial officials; all in an effort to ensure that, despite the often great distance between the central and provincial governments, local authorities were kept firmly within the administrative apparatus of the state. The courier stations in the distant west, beyond the end of the Great Wall at Chia-yu-kuan, also served as watchtowers.

        The illustrations and related official memorials in this section of the exhibit introduce the strategic fortifications, outposts, watchtowers, and other defensive measures of the Ch'ing government.