A general view of Wei-Hai-Wei, after its capture

This photograph, taken by the Ordnance Survey Office, captures Wei-Hai-Wei after its capture. Walls, symbols of defense and division, snake across the landscape. These fortifications evoke the primal human need for protection. Walls remind me of the walls of Troy, or even Hadrian's Wall in Britannia—barriers erected in the hopes of security, yet so often breached or circumvented, becoming symbols of conflict and the limits of power. The very act of building a wall implies not only a physical boundary but also a psychological one, separating ‘us’ from ‘them.’ Consider the emotional weight of such structures. They are built on the collective fears and desires of a people. These walls are a poignant reminder of the cyclical nature of history. What once stood as a symbol of strength now stands as a testament to vulnerability.