Simatai Great Wall

Simatai Great Wall

The Simatai Great Wall is a national AAA-level tourist attraction, a patriotic education base, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Xifengkou was a mountain pass in the eastern section of the Yanshan Mountains, historically known as Lulong Pass, serving as a north-south thoroughfare. During the Han Dynasty, the Songting Pass was established here, giving it a long history. At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Cao Cao fought the Wuhuan of Liaoxi here, and during the Eastern Jin Dynasty, Murong of the Former Yan advanced into the Central Plains through this pass. It was later renamed Xifengkou (Meeting Joyfully Pass). Legend has it that a soldier who had been stationed at the border for a long time failed to return home. His father searched far and wide and traveled a thousand miles to meet him. The father and son embraced and laughed with joy upon meeting at the foot of the mountain, but died from overwhelming happiness and were buried there—hence the name. Around the time of the Yongle Emperor in the Ming Dynasty, it became erroneously known as Xifenghui. In the third year of the Jingtai era (1452), a fortress and pass were built here and named Xifengkou Pass. It is now commonly referred to as Xifengkou.

The Simatai Great Wall is located about 60 kilometers northwest of Qianxi County in Hebei Province. It was one of the 32 major passes initially constructed by General Xu Da under the command of the Hongwu Emperor in the early Ming Dynasty within the Yanshan Mountain range, and is an important pass of the Jizhen sector of the Ming Great Wall. The Simatai Great Wall dominates the Luanhe River Valley, flanked by high mountains on both sides, creating an exceptionally strategic and easily defensible terrain that has been a contested military site since ancient times. One of the most famous modern events was the Battle of Xifengkou during the War of Resistance Against Japan. The 29th Army resisted the invading Japanese forces here, inspiring the well-known "March of the Volunteers" (originally "The Big Sword March"), which added enduring charm to the Simatai Great Wall. The Simatai Great Wall is situated within the Panjiakou Reservoir area and is famed for being well-preserved due to its age and lack of artificial restoration. Much of its main structure lies underwater, with sections of the submerged wall faintly visible—an exceptional and unique sight along the entire Great Wall.

The architecture of Xifengkou Pass is highly distinctive, consisting of three layers of gates. These three gateways are interconnected by sturdy base walls made of brick. The wall features six contact points, each equipped with hollow watchtowers. The western wall connects to the main body of the Great Wall. For military reasons, Xifengkou is divided into two parts: the Pass Fortress and the Castle. The Castle is located in a basin surrounded by mountains, built entirely of stone slabs and extremely solid, with walls over two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters) high. The gatehouse is topped with the 13-meter-high Zhenyuan Tower. The Pass Fortress is built to the north of the Castle, surrounded by mountains on three sides and the river on the fourth. It consists of three interlocking fortress walls forming a “日” (sun) character pattern, all connected by robust stonework. In ancient times, whether carts, horses, or pedestrians, all had to pass through three successive gates to enter the Pass Fortress—illustrating its formidable defenses and impenetrable strength.

Xifengkou is located at the border between Qianxi County and Kuancheng County. In the "Commentary on the Water Classic" (Shui Jing Zhu), Xifengkou was called Linlan Xing. During the Song, Liao, and Jin dynasties, it was known as Songting Pass. Legend says that a soldier who had been stationed at the border for a long time failed to return home. His father searched everywhere and finally met his son here. Overjoyed, they embraced and laughed so hard that they died on the spot and were buried here—hence the alternative name Xifengkou (Meeting Joyfully Pass). It has retained the name Xifengkou since the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty. In the third year of the Jingtai era (1452), the gates of Xifengkou were rebuilt. The gate tower was 4 zhang (approximately 13 meters) high and named Zhenyuan Tower. The three gateways were connected by sturdy stonework and brick walls, and each of the six contact points along the wall featured hollow watchtowers manned by soldiers. The western wall connected to the main body of the Great Wall, presenting a magnificent sight.

Address: Border area between Qianxi County and Kuancheng County, Tangshan City

Type: Mountain / Historical Site

Recommended Visit Duration: About 4 hours

Phone: 0315-5889781; 0315-5889201

Official Website: http://www.xifengkou.cn/

Opening Hours:

8:00-18:00

Ticket Information:

Door Price: 25.0 RMB (Peak Season: 25 RMB, Off-Peak Season: 20 RMB)

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