ancient border beacon fire and smoke signals; border alarm system
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesnoun
ancient border beacon signals (fire by night, smoke by day)
archaicSpecifically refers to the paired smoke and fire signaling system used along ancient Chinese frontiers (e.g., the Great Wall) to warn of enemy invasion.
Gǔ古
cháng长
chéng城
shàng上
shè设
yǒu有
fēng烽
suì燧
tái台
，
yòng用
yú于
chuán传
dì递
jūn军
qíng情
。
Beacon towers were set up along the ancient Great Wall to transmit military intelligence.
Hàn汉
dài代
wén文
xiàn献
xiáng详
xì细
jì记
zǎi载
le了
fēng烽
suì燧
de的
shǐ使
yòng用
zhì制
dù度
。
Han dynasty texts recorded in detail the regulations for using beacon signals.
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Biān边
jiāng疆
yī一
dàn旦
yǒu有
jǐng警
，
fēng烽
suì燧
biàn便
jiē接
lián连
rán燃
qǐ起
。
Once there was an alarm on the frontier, the beacons would be lit one after another.