Huangya Water Pass

Huangya Water Pass

Huangya Water Pass is a renowned water gateway along the Great Wall in eastern Beijing. It guards the Gou River Valley, connecting to Taipingzhai to the east and Huangyaguan Fortress to the west. Construction began during the Yongle era of the Ming Dynasty (1403–1424). The upper section features crenellated battlements and a parapet walkway, while the lower part houses five arched water channels. The structure stretches 75.5 meters in length and reaches a total height of 12.15 meters. The battlements were equipped with iron cannons and bronze guns, and the five water channels were fitted with barriers and sluice gates, used to repel enemy forces during wartime and to collect taxes at the pass during peacetime. Due to years of neglect, the walls had collapsed, but in 1992, the Tianjin Municipal Government restored the site to its original location and erected a temporary bridge over a gap in the Jintao Highway next to the pass, linking it to the northeast corner tower of the fortress.