Guguan Great Wall

Guguan Great Wall

The Guguan Great Wall is a national AAA-level tourist attraction and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Guguan Great Wall is located 35 kilometers from Pingding County and 15 kilometers from Nangzi Pass. Together with the renowned Nangzi Pass and Jiuguan, it forms a strategic triangle and has served as a military stronghold throughout history.

The Guguan Great Wall was initially constructed during the Zhongshan State era and renovated during the Ming Dynasty. It is the most intact and the only remaining ancient stone-built section of the Great Wall in China. The main surviving structures include the southern section from Guguan through Jiangjunyu to Baihuikou, approximately 7,000 meters long, and the northern section from Cenhoudi to Jiayugou at Nangzi Pass, about 13,000 meters long. The wall is 2 meters wide and 3–4 meters high, all built along the mountain terrain with stone. Key high points along the wall feature artillery platforms, beacon towers, and watchtowers. There are currently 11 artillery and turret platforms, 2 beacon towers, 1 watchtower, 1 powder magazine, and 3 enemy towers.

The Guguan Great Wall has two city gates, east and west. The western gate is equipped with a sturdy barbican, and the gate tower features a double-eaved hip-and-gable roof. The Guguan Great Wall sits in a strategically important and rugged location with a long history and deeply worn ancient post roads. Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty, during his western tour, passed through here and praised the grandeur of the pass, composing a poem titled "Passing Guguan": “Bird paths soar into the clouds, the scenery matches that of the frontier; people stand atop perilous terrain, the city rises above mountain ranges; customs are simple in the villagers’ homes, yet many brave warriors show their might; Qinquan connects to northern Hebei, turning my head I point toward the verdant peaks.” This strategic fortress, Guguan, has been referred to as the “Little Badaling” by Mr. Luo Zhewen, a renowned Chinese cultural relics expert and Vice President of the China Great Wall Society. Today, the Guguan Great Wall serves as the eastern gateway to Pingding and is a unique scenic highlight along the Taijiu Expressway.

Transportation: Hiring a car from Nangzi Pass Town to go to and return from Guguan costs around 40 RMB, while a one-way trip from Nangzi Pass to Guguan is about 25 RMB.

Ticket/Opening Hours: 20 RMB

Yangquan City, Shanxi Province

Nangzi Pass Town: Nangzi Pass Town is located 45 kilometers northeast of Pingding County, adjacent to Jingxing County in Hebei Province. It guards the throat between Shanxi and Hebei provinces, serving as the eastern gateway of Shanxi and one of the famous passes of the Great Wall of China, known as the “Ninth Pass under Heaven.” The town features undulating mountains, numerous springs, majestic passes, winding sections of the Great Wall, and spectacular karst caves, making it a well-known tourist destination. The town administers 24 administrative villages, covers an area of 171.1 square kilometers, has 17,000 mu of arable land (including 5,500 mu of irrigated land), and a total population of 31,000, of which 17,000 are agricultural residents. In 2002, the town achieved rural economic... More details about Nangzi Pass Town++