Chronicles of the Nine Borderlands

The Ming Great Wall stretches for more than ten thousand li, running east from the Yalu River in Dandong to Jiayuguan beneath the Qilian Mountains in the west. It was divided into nine regions for administration. When first established, each frontier was called a "garrison," hence the name Nine Frontier Garrisons. They were first established during the reign of the Yongle Emperor and completed during the Hongzhi era of the Ming Xiaozong Emperor. The Nine Frontier Garrisons played a major role in the struggles and conflicts between the Ming Empire and the nomadic peoples of the north, giving rise to heroic tales both stirring and tragic...