Kunlun Pass Scenic Area

Kunlun Pass Scenic Area

The Kunlun Pass Scenic Area is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

Majestic Kunlun, timeless fortress. Standing within Nanning’s territory, Kunlun Pass is one of China’s renowned mountain passes and the historic site of the world-famous Battle of Kunlun Pass. In June 2006, the State Council designated it as a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit. In November 2009, the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee approved it as one of the first national defense education demonstration bases in China. In November 2010, the Regional Propaganda Department named it one of the first Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Ethnic Unity and Progress Education Demonstration Bases. In March 2016, the Regional Tourism Bureau rated it as a national 4A-level tourist attraction.

“One pass guards the bird’s path, towering peaks lock the spiral ridges.” Located in the northeast of Nanning, about 50 kilometers from the city center, Kunlun Pass is the gateway connecting southern and central Guangxi. Established during the Qin Shi Huang’s unification of the Lingnan region, the pass’s gate tower was first built in the Song Dynasty and has been continuously repaired and rebuilt throughout history. Many notable figures and literati have composed poems and couplets for Kunlun Pass.

“Where Japanese troops once left broken forts, Han banners still wave mightily.” The Battle of Kunlun Pass, fought in the winter of 1939, was a fierce and hard-won victory for Chinese forces against Japanese invaders. It stands as one of the most moving chapters in Nanning’s history and ranks alongside the Battle of Taierzhuang and the Battle of Pingxingguan as one of the nation’s most celebrated wartime epics. The victory at Kunlun Pass is the pride of Nanning’s people and a precious spiritual asset for the Chinese nation.

Kunlun Pass preserves the “Cemetery of Martyrs of the Fifth Army of the Army,” featuring structures such as the South Memorial Archway, 331 granite steps, the Monument to Fallen Soldiers, the Martyrs’ Cemetery, the Memorial Pavilion, the North Memorial Archway, the tomb of Japanese Major General Nakamura Masao, tombstones, and the battle sites and fortifications of the Battle of Kunlun Pass including Golden Dragon Mountain, Fairy Mountain, and high grounds 441, 660, and 653. These remains are relatively well-preserved. On various structures in the cemetery, the authentic inscriptions and couplets of 15 key political and military figures of the Nationalist government, including Chiang Kai-shek, Li Zongren, Bai Chongxi, Li Jishen, Yu Youren, He Yingqin, Xu Yongchang, Zhang Fakui, Yu Hanmou, Gu Zhutong, Chen Cheng, Zhang Zhizhong, Du Yuming, Lin Wei, and Huang Xuchu, are also preserved intact—an extremely rare sight in China.

In 2005, the Nanning Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government established the Nanning Kunlun Pass Battle Site Protection and Management Committee (Nanning Kunlun Pass Scenic Area Management Committee) and formulated the overall plan for the Kunlun Pass scenic area. The planned area spans 16 square kilometers, divided into 10 zones: the Memorial and Remembrance Zone, Museum Zone, Ancient Pass Tower Zone, Stele Forest Zone, Guan Di Temple Zone, Military Expansion Zone, Leisure and Entertainment Zone, and the North and South Gate Zones.

From a former battlefield of resistance to a new tourist attraction, it has become a new highlight of Nanning’s historical culture. The Kunlun Pass Battle Museum opened on December 18, 2008. Covering a construction area of over 3,500 square meters, it was designed by Dai Fudong (academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and dean of the College of Architecture and Urban Planning at Tongji University), the eldest son of General Dai Anlan, a national anti-Japanese hero. The museum consists of four exhibition halls: the Preface Hall, the Bloody Battle at Kunlun Hall, the Support-the-Front Hall, and the Remembrance Hall. It comprehensively showcases the battle scenes of December 1939, when Chinese forces valiantly fought against Japanese invaders and achieved the world-shocking victory at Kunlun Pass.

In December 2009, the Central Committee of the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang, the Guangxi Regional Committee of the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang, and the Nanning Municipal People’s Government jointly organized a series of events to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the victory at Kunlun Pass. Attendees included Zhou Tienong, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and Chairman of the Central Committee of the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang; Jiang Xiaoyan, Vice Chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang; Wang Zaixi, Vice President of the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits; Zhuang Yanlin, former Chairman of the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese; Xiu Fujin, Vice Chairman of the Central Committee of the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang; as well as 250 regional and municipal leaders and guests from the Regional Party Committee, Regional People’s Congress, Regional Government, Regional Political Consultative Conference, Municipal Party Committee, and Municipal Government.

Nanning has listed Kunlun Pass as one of the three key tourist attractions to be developed during the 12th Five-Year Plan period. Efforts have been accelerated to build infrastructure, develop tourism products, and grow the tourism industry, aiming to establish it as a national-level patriotic education base, a cross-strait exchange base, and an iconic historical and cultural brand landscape that promotes economic development in Guangxi (Nanning). It is being developed into a nationally and Asia-wide influential historical and cultural site of the war of resistance and a national AAAA-level scenic area—a new platform for inheriting the spirit of the Chinese nation, promoting patriotic education, and advancing the peaceful reunification of the motherland.

The Battle of Kunlun Pass was another major victory following the successes at Pingxingguan and Taierzhuang during the War of Resistance. After the battle, a three-bay, four-pillar stone memorial archway was erected at the foot of the mountain, while a cemetery, monument, and memorial pavilion for fallen soldiers were built atop the peak. A 331-step stone path connects the archway to the summit. Prominent Nationalist military and political figures such as Chiang Kai-shek, Li Zongren, Li Jishen, Bai Chongxi, and Du Yuming left inscriptions, couplets, or engraved steles to commemorate the battle. Around Qingming Festival each year, many students and locals visit to pay respects, offer homage, and sweep the tombs.

The ancient battlefield of Kunlun Pass in Binyang, a strategic stronghold of southern Guangxi, has historically been not only a vital transportation route but also a fiercely contested battleground and fortress, exerting significant influence throughout history.

In the first year of the Huangyou era (1049) during the reign of Emperor Renzong of the Song Dynasty, Nong Zhigao of Guangyuan Prefecture rebelled against the Song, seeking the title of Military Commissioner of Seven Prefectures in Yong and Gui but failed. In the fourth year (1052), he captured Yongzhou, proclaimed himself the Benevolent and Merciful Emperor, and established the “Great Southern Empire.” He swiftly raided nine prefectures including Luán, Héng, Guì, and Xún, besieged Guangzhou, and sent shockwaves through Bianjing. The Song rulers were panic-stricken and dispatched troops several times to suppress the rebellion. However, because Nong Zhigao’s forces had occupied and fortified Kunlun Pass, with nearby hilltops manned by defending soldiers overlooking the terrain, the Song army suffered repeated defeats despite multiple charges. Amidst national unrest and the helplessness of the court, Di Qing, who had served as Vice Privy Councilor for less than three months, volunteered and petitioned to lead the campaign. Emperor Renzong was delighted and appointed him as Commissioner of Pacification for Jinghu and Hubei-Hunan Regions, tasked with suppressing bandits in Guangnan, personally hosting a farewell banquet for Di Qing in the Chuigong Hall.

At the time, the Song army had suffered consecutive defeats, and morale was low. Upon taking command, Di Qing, drawing lessons from past dynasties’ reliance on foreign troops which often led to future troubles, first advised the emperor to halt the deployment of Annamite (Vietnamese) forces. He then rigorously enforced military discipline, executing disobedient officers such as Chen Shu, significantly boosting troop morale. He then ordered the army to hold its ground while stockpiling large quantities of provisions from various regions. Observing this, Nong Zhigao’s forces assumed the Song army would not attack and let their guard down. On the night of the Lantern Festival in the fifth year of Huangyou (1053), the tactically brilliant Di Qing announced a ten-day rest for the entire army to celebrate the festival and reward the troops, arranging banquets across camps for three days. On the evening of the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, while some officers were still feasting, Di Qing quietly ordered the troops to regroup. While dispatching a small unit to feign an attack on Kunlun Pass, he personally led the vanguard. In just one day and night, they bypassed Kunlun Pass via Binyi County, approached Foguzi’ao about ten li east of the pass, passed through Changshan Post, eliminated a defending force at Guanshan Fort, and advanced directly to Guirenpu. There, they engaged in fierce combat with Nong Zhigao’s infantry, who had poured out of Yongzhou under his personal command. By employing the strategy of “flanking the pass through a hidden route,” Di Qing successfully bypassed Kunlun Pass, catching Nong Zhigao off guard. The battle of Guirenpu ended in a crushing defeat for Nong Zhigao—this daring feat became known as “Seizing Kunlun on the Third Watch of the Lantern Festival.” The night raid on Kunlun Pass marked a turning point in Nong Zhigao’s conflict with the Northern Song. Thereafter, Nong Zhigao’s situation deteriorated rapidly, and his forces were eventually annihilated.

In the ninth year of the Xining era (1076) during the Song Dynasty, King Lý Càn Đức of Annam (modern-day northern Vietnam) dispatched General Lý Thường Kiệt to invade Guangnan and besiege Yongzhou, massacring civilians and abducting women. The enemy general Lý Thường Kiệt sent troops through a hidden route via Qīnlián-Héngluán to seize Kunlun Pass covertly, cutting off the reinforcement route from Guìzhōu (modern-day Guilin) to Yongzhou, where Song General Zhang Shoujie’s forces were stationed at Dajia Ling Post. Learning of the enemy’s plan to occupy Kunlun Pass and cut off his retreat, Zhang hurriedly returned to defend the pass. However, the Annamese forces had already taken the position, and Zhang’s troops were ambushed upon approaching Kunlun Pass. Surrounded by high mountains with no escape routes, Zhang’s entire army was wiped out, and he died in battle.

In the ninth year of the Xianfeng era (1859) during the Qing Dynasty, Shi Dakai, the Wing King of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, retreated from Jinling (modern-day Nanjing) back to Guangxi. His valiant general Lai Yupeng attempted to take Nanning via Binyang and sought to cross the shortcut of Kunlun Pass with a force of 20,000 men. However, they were blocked by local militia led by Ou Guangyang and Wei Huaiyu, who guarded the pass. Despite several days of heavy attacks and severe casualties, Lai’s forces failed to break through and were forced to retreat, instead taking a detour through Wuming’s Gaofeng Pass to reach Nanning.

In February 1925, Yunnan troops invaded Guangxi, captured Nanning, and garrisoned Kunlun Pass. On May 16, Guangxi forces under Li Zongren launched an offensive against Kunlun Pass. One detachment attacked the northern side of the pass head-on from Maoling, while another flanked around Jiutang Market to strike from the south. The two sides engaged in a bloody day-long battle at Kunlun Pass. Unable to withstand the pincer attack, the Yunnan troops abandoned the pass and fled south. The Guangxi forces pursued them relentlessly to Batang, engaging them in another day of fierce combat.

In July 1930, Yunnan troops once again besieged Nanning and garrisoned Kunlun Pass and Gaofeng Pass. In October, Guangxi forces under Li Zongren and Bai Chongxi, stationed in Guilin and Liuzhou, attempted to relieve the besieged Guangxi troops in Nanning. However, due to the heavy Yunnan presence at Kunlun Pass and Gaofeng Pass, they could not advance. Li and Bai instead took a detour through Xincheng County to Wuming County, enlisted local guides familiar with the terrain, and crossed the Fenggao Mountain Range via forest paths between the two strategic passes, reaching the outskirts of Yong. Under the pressure of a two-pronged attack, the Yunnan troops finally withdrew from Nanning on October 13. Meanwhile, those garrisoning Kunlun Pass and Gaofeng Pass had guarded them in vain.

Historical records indicate that nine battles have occurred at Kunlun Pass throughout history. Among these, the most famous are Di Qing’s night raid on Kunlun Pass and the victory during the War of Resistance.

Kunlun Pass

Phone: 0771-2020856

Address: 50 kilometers along Kunlun Avenue, Nanning City, at the border of Binyang County and Yongning District

Silong Town: Located in the southwestern part of Binyang County, Silong Town lies at the foot of the抗日 victory site Kunlun Pass and borders two counties and one district (Wuming County, Shanglin County, and Xingning District) and six towns (Chenping, Xinqiao, Kunlun, Luobo, Xiangxian, and Taiping). It is 69 kilometers from Nanning City and 20 kilometers from the county seat, covering an area of 173.11 square kilometers, including 198,000 mu of mountainous land, making it a typical mountainous town. Both the Nanguang Second-Class Highway and the Binning Highway pass through the town, serving as a key transportation route into southern China. The town administers 15 administrative villages and 2 communities, encompassing 212 natural villages with a population of 63,000. … More details about Silong Town++