The Watchtower

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Master Mao Mao Yuanyi (1594–1640), the Ming dynasty military scholar and author of the Wubei Zhi (Treatise on Armament Technology). says:

The Watchtower original: wanglou (望樓); a term for a mobile or stationary observation platform used to see over walls or across open plains. is a device primarily utilized when besieging cities.

However, if an army is stationed in an area lacking high hills original: gaofu (高阜); natural elevations used for vantage points., it is impossible to effectively scout the enemy, detect ambushes original: fuzei (伏賊), literally "hidden rebels" or "hidden enemies.", or identify incoming reinforcements original: yuan (援) without the use of such a structure.

For this reason, I have recorded its description here.

[Illustration: A Watchtower in Operation]
The accompanying woodcut illustrates a Wanglou. It consists of a tall, braced central pole topped with a small, secure wooden enclosure. A soldier is visible inside the enclosure, equipped with a spear and holding a signal flag, which was used to communicate enemy movements to the troops below.