Longhu Pass

Longhu Pass

Originally named Zhinxia Pass, Longhu Pass was established in the 26th year of the Hongwu era during the Ming Dynasty (1393 AD) with the Zhinxia Stockade Patrol Office stationed there for defense. By the end of the Chongzhen era, it was renamed Longhu Pass. Located at the southwestern tip of Jiangyong County on the Hunan-Guangxi border, it is a mountain pass within the Five Ridges mountain range. To the south of Longhu Pass lies Longtou Ridge in Longhu Township, Gongcheng Yao Autonomous County, Guangxi, with the layered peaks of the Mengzhu Ridge. To the north is Hutou Ridge in Cushijiang Township, Jiangyong County, Hunan. The two ridges, Long and Hu, stand opposite each other from north to south, resembling a dragon and tiger locked in combat, with majestic mountain terrain. A mountain saddle divides Hunan and Guangxi, flanked by vast flat open land, making it ideal for troop deployment — which is why Longhu Pass has been a strategic military stronghold since ancient times. For thousands of years, the old pass has seen frequent skirmishes and continuous beacon fires. The Taoshui River, originating within Jiangyong County, flows westward through the pass, winding several times before pouring into the Pearl River. Over the 2,000-meter stretch of the Taoshui River that runs through Longhu Pass, the current is rapid, with jagged rocks and swirling eddies. Historically, countless fishing boats and timber rafts have capsized here. Coupled with the abrupt stone peaks and crisscrossing cliffs on both riverbanks, it truly presents a scene of “one man guards the pass, ten thousand are unable to breach.”