Gubeikou

Gubeikou

Gubeikou is designated as a patriotic education base.

Gubeikou is located about 125 kilometers north of Beijing and is an important pass along the Great Wall, serving as a key gateway from Beijing to the Inner Mongolian grasslands. It lies between Miyun County and Luanping County in Hebei Province. Backed by the Panlong and Wolong Mountains to the north and bordering the Qingfeng and Diecui Ridges to the south, the pass is traversed from north to south by the Chao River. Watchtowers stand atop the mountain peaks, and the Great Wall soars over the Chao River, resembling a ribbon that tightly connects the two mountains. Three water gates beneath the Great Wall span the Chao River, and together with the Gubeikou Pass and its water gates, they give the area’s Great Wall a distinctive character.

Gubeikou has been an important transportation hub since ancient times. It was once called “Hubeikou” (Tiger North Pass) due to the presence of Wolong Mountain to the southwest of the pass. During the Tang Dynasty, it was known as “Hubai Kou” and guarded by two military posts: Dongjun and Beikou. In the Five Dynasties period, it was a battlefield, and during the Song Dynasty, it was a mandatory route for envoys traveling to Liao. In the Jin Dynasty, it was called Liuwoling, and in the second year of the Zhenyou era (1214 AD), the Iron Gate Pass was built. During the Yuan Dynasty, it was a vital route between Dadu (Beijing) and Shangdu (Inner Mongolia). In the early Ming Dynasty, a garrison was established here, which was later elevated to the status of the Gubeikou Road, overseeing 15 nearby passes and heavily guarded by troops. The Great Wall in the Gubeikou area was initially constructed during the Tianbao years of the Northern Qi Dynasty (550–559 AD), forming part of the 1,500-kilometer-long wall built by the Northern Qi regime from the vicinity of present-day Datong to the Bohai Sea. However, the wall at that time was rudimentary, mostly built with rammed yellow earth, and after centuries of erosion, it has largely disappeared. The Gubeikou Great Wall we see today was all built during the Ming Dynasty.

Gubeikou Village: Gubeikou Village

Upon arriving in Gubeikou Village within Gubeikou Town, visitors will notice a four-meter-high antique-style archway with gold-leaf calligraphy reading “Guyudao” (Ancient Imperial Road) standing prominently near the tunnel at the southern edge of the village, right by the exit of the pass. Looking along the archway, nestled among green hills and trees, an ancient stone-paved road four meters wide winds its way into the depths of Panlong Mountain. According to Song Libin, the village Party branch secretary, this ancient imperial road was originally built in 1682 when Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty exited the pass. Today, to revive frontier culture and develop leisure tourism, the town has restored the road based on historical documents from that era. The entire imperial road is four meters wide... More details about Gubeikou Village ++