The Yanmen Pass section of the Great Wall

The Yanmen Pass section of the Great Wall

The Yanmen Pass section of the Great Wall is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

(Including the Baicaokou section of the Great Wall)

The Yanmen Pass section of the Great Wall (including the Baicaokou section) (5th batch National Heritage Site)

Era: Ming Dynasty

Address: 20 km north of Dai County, 200 m south of Yanmen Pass Village at Baicaokou

Also known as Xixing Pass, it is one of the important fortresses of the Great Wall during the Ming Dynasty. Together with Ningwu Pass and Pian Pass, it is referred to as one of the “Three Inner Passes.” According to the "Ningwu Prefecture Records" from the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty, the old pass was located on Yanmen Mountain, but in the 7th year of the Hongwu reign (1374), it was moved to its current location. It was renovated in the 25th year of the Wanli reign (1579) during the Ming Dynasty and the 6th year of the Tongzhi reign (1867) during the Qing Dynasty. The existing Yanmen Pass was built during the Ming Dynasty.

The Yanmen Pass fortress has a perimeter of over 1 kilometer and consists of three main parts: the main fortress, the barbican, and the encircling wall. The walls are 10 meters high, built with stone bases and brick bodies, and filled with rammed earth inside. There are three gateways: the East Gate, the West Gate, and the Small North Gate. The East Gate, also called Tianxian Gate, has a stone base and a brick arch, with the plaque inscribed with the characters “Tianxian” (Heavenly Precipice). Above the gate is a tower called the Yan Tower. It has five bays in width and four in depth, featuring a double-eave hip-and-gable roof. The walls are equipped with battlements. The gate passage originally had a wooden door, and the path inside was paved with bluestone slabs. The Yan Tower served as a place for stationed soldiers to patrol, keep watch, and rest.

The West Gate, known as Dili Gate, also has a stone base and brick body, with the plaque inscribed with the characters “Dili” (Strategic Advantage). The gate tower was once the Temple of General Yang Liulang, which has now been destroyed. The Small North Gate is the entrance to the barbican, with a stone arch at the top. The plaque above the gate reads “Yanmen Pass,” and on both sides of the gate are inset bricks bearing the couplet: “Unparalleled Strategic Point in All Three Frontiers, Foremost Pass Among the Nine Great Forts.”

The encircling wall follows the contour of the mountain and has a perimeter of over 10 li. The walls are built of stone. At the southern end, the encircling wall connects to the eastern and western wings of the main fortress. The wall extends along the mountain ridges to the north and meets at the valley floor, where the encircling gate is situated. Above the gate is a tower called the Ningbian Tower, which has been destroyed. Outside the encircling gate, there is a stone arch bridge connecting to the pass road. Outside the pass, there are three large stone walls and 25 small stone walls in sequence. These stone walls serve as barriers for the encircling area.

Outside the Tianxian Gate stands the Jingbian Shrine, dedicated to the famous Warring States general Li Mu. In front of the shrine’s mountain gate, there is a stone platform with a pair of stone flagpoles and a pair of stone lions. In the center, there are staircases on both sides, all equipped with carved stone railings. The bell tower and drum tower flanking the mountain gate, the side rooms on both sides of the front courtyard, the passing hall, and the main Buddha Hall in the rear courtyard have all been destroyed. The main Buddha Hall was rebuilt in 1997. The shrine houses 15 stone steles from the Qing Dynasty, including one stele dedicated to Li Mu.

The Baicaokou section of the Great Wall, also known as the Houling section, is a Ming Dynasty structure. It is 5,033 meters long, 6 to 8 meters high, 5 meters wide at the base, and 3 meters wide at the top. A fortress is built every 120 meters, along with beacon towers and watchtowers. Strategic passes feature fortresses, dug trenches, and hidden gates. The Baicaokou section of the Great Wall extends east and west, connecting with the Outer Great Wall.

In addition, Yanmen Pass includes over 60 historical sites and relics such as the Tieguomen Gate, Guanling Tomb, Pass Office, Eastern City Barracks, Western City Barracks, General Platform, Troop Caves, Stone Great Wall, Liulang City, Beacon Towers, Xinguangwu, and Guangwu Ancient City.

Baicaokou Village: Baicaokou Village…… More details about Baicaokou Village++