Hangu Pass

Hangu Pass

Hangu Pass is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction and a cultural relic protection unit of Henan Province.

Hangu Pass is one of the earliest and most formidable passes built in Chinese history. It earned its name because it is situated in a valley, deep and perilous like a "letter box" (函, hán). This place was once an ancient battlefield where war horses' neighs echoed, known for being "a place where one man could hold off ten thousand." It is also where Laozi, the ancient Chinese philosopher and thinker, composed the 5,000-character "Tao Te Ching." For thousands of years, numerous Taoist practitioners and followers from both China and abroad have come here to pay homage.

Hangu Pass is located in Wangduo Village, 15 kilometers north of Lingbao City, Henan Province, about 75 kilometers from Sanmenxia City. It lies on the "Ancient Road to Chang’an" and is close to the banks of the Yellow River. It derives its name from being situated in a steep valley as deep and narrow as a "letter box."

Hangu Pass is flanked by plateaus to the west, sheer cliffs to the east, the Qinling Mountains to the south, and the Yellow River to the north. It is one of the earliest and most formidable passes built in China. Constructed during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, it served as a strategic throat leading east to Luoyang and west to Chang’an. It has long been dubbed “Heaven created Hangu to glorify the Central Plains, with countless valleys sending dust flying north” and “Twin peaks towering beside the great river, Hangu has been a battlefield since ancient times,” making it a contested military stronghold through the ages. In the third year of King Shenjing of Zhou, King Huai of Chu led a coalition of six states to attack Qin, but thanks to Hangu Pass’s natural defenses, the Qin army caused “millions of corpses and blood flowing to float shields.” In the sixth year of Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s reign, armies from five states including Chu, Zhao, and Wei invaded Qin, but “all were defeated upon reaching Hangu Pass.” “Liu Bang defending the pass against Xiang Yu,” the “Taolin Battle” between Tang forces and rebel troops during the An Lushan Rebellion, and the “Hangu Pass Battle” between Chinese forces and Japanese invaders in 1944 all took place here.

Hangu Pass is not only a crucial military stronghold but also a key hub for cultural and economic exchanges between the Central Plains and northwest China. Numerous historical tales and legends surround this renowned pass and city, such as “Purple Air Comes from the East,” “Laozi Passing Through the Pass,” “Chicken Crowing and Dog Stealing,” “Gongsun White Horse,” and “Emperor Xuanzong Changing the Era Name.” Historical figures like Emperor Taizong of Tang, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Sima Qian, Li Bai, Du Fu, Bai Juyi, and Sima Guang visited the pass and composed poems, over 100 of which have been passed down to this day.

The national AAAA-level Hangu Pass Ancient Culture Tourist Area is located at the junction of Henan, Shaanxi, and Shanxi provinces, within Lingbao City, the western gateway of Henan Province. Covering an area of 16.5 square kilometers, its main attractions include the Taichu Palace, Daosheng Palace, Taoist Health Garden, Scripture Repository, Zhanzi Tower, Jiming Terrace, Forest of Stone Tablets, Wax Museum, Museum, Pass Tower, and the Ancient Hangu Road, among more than 20 sites.

Hangu Pass is the sacred valley land where Laozi, the great ancient Chinese philosopher and thinker, composed the foundational Taoist text "Tao Te Ching," and the birthplace of Taoist culture. It is also the strategic thoroughfare that connected ancient Chang’an to the west and Luoyang to the east, the meeting point of Central Plains and other regional cultures. Moreover, it is a historic military stronghold contested for millennia, the origin of legendary tales such as “Purple Air Comes from the East” and “Rooster Crow at Hangu Pass.” Throughout the long river of history, this place has been immortalized for its notable figures (Laozi), masterwork (the "Tao Te Ching"), and famed pass (Hangu Pass), gaining fame both domestically and internationally.

Admission Ticket

Admission ticket: 70 RMB

Opening Hours

8:00-17:30

Location

Hangu Pass Historical and Cultural Tourist Area, Lingbao City, Sanmenxia, Henan Province

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Henan Province