《长城的故事》首日封邮集——第3框

3.5 狼烟四起的烽火台将传递军情变得更加迅速：烽火台：作为一种防御体系，长城不仅是防御性质的阻止、延缓入侵，也需要及时将军情传递至后方，起到通报战情、增兵求援的作用。烽火台就是这样一种设施，是古代的军事报警系统，往往与长城并存，组成完整的军事防御系统，也可以单独设立，成为古代速度最快最为有效的信息传递方法。烽火台也称烽燧，春秋战国时白天燃烟叫烽，夜晚放火叫燧，故名烽燧。烽火台通常设置于长城沿线，西域大漠戈壁千里，视野开阔，高耸的烽火台遍布天山南北，这也是汉长城在西域地区的主要形式，警戒边境的同时也护卫着丝绸之路。今天新疆库车境内的克孜尔烽燧便是遗留至今的汉代烽燧遗址之一。

3.5 Beacon Towers Amidst Flames of War Accelerated the Transmission of Military Intelligence: Beacon Towers
As a defensive system, the Great Wall not only served to hinder or delay invasions but also facilitated the swift transmission of military intelligence to the rear, enabling the reporting of battle conditions and requests for reinforcements. Beacon towers were precisely such facilities—an ancient military alert system often coexisting with the Great Wall to form a comprehensive military defense network. They could also be established independently, serving as the fastest and most effective method of information transmission in ancient times.

Beacon towers, also known as "feng sui" (烽燧), were named for their distinct signaling methods: during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, smoke was used during the day (烽), and fire was lit at night (燧). These towers were typically built along the Great Wall. In the vast deserts and Gobi of the Western Regions, where the terrain offered expansive visibility, towering beacon towers were spread across both the northern and southern slopes of the Tianshan Mountains. This also represented the primary form of the Han Dynasty's Great Wall in the Western Regions, serving both to guard the borders and protect the Silk Road. Today, the Kizil Beacon Tower in Kuqa, Xinjiang, stands as one of the remaining Han Dynasty beacon tower ruins preserved to this day.

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