Pianguan

Pianguan

Located in Pianguan County, Shanxi Province. Together with Ningwu and Yanmen, it is known as one of the Three Passes. It borders the Guancen Mountain to the east and the Pianguan River to the west. Due to its terrain—rising sharply to the east and sloping gently to the west—it is also called Pianguan. From the Five Dynasties to the Song Dynasty, it was referred to as Piuzhai, and was renamed a pass during the Yuan Dynasty. The current pass city was reconstructed in the 23rd year of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty (1390), and Piantou Subprefecture was established here, with the Taiyuan Town Regional Commander stationed at this location. During the Qing Dynasty, it was reorganized into a county under the Ningxia Government, overseeing four stretches of the Great Wall. The first stretch lies 60 kilometers north of the pass, starting from the cliff boundary of Yatoudun in Pinglu County to the east and reaching the Yellow River to the west, spanning 150 kilometers. The second stretch is located 30 kilometers north of the pass, extending north through Caoduoshan Mountain, reaching Laoniuwang at the western bank of the Yellow River, connecting to Shitijia Pass in Hequ County to the south, and stretching eastward to Haohan Mountain in Laoying. Here, the Great Wall splits into inner and outer sections, with the Outer Great Wall serving as the natural boundary between Shanxi and Inner Mongolia. The third stretch lies 15 kilometers northeast of the pass, beginning at Laoying Fort to the east and ending at Baidaopo to the west, covering 45 kilometers. The fourth stretch is positioned 1 kilometer south of the pass, starting from Yingwo Mountain in Changlin to the east and reaching the Drill Ground to the west. The best-preserved section of the wall today is the 30-kilometer stretch at Hualin Fort along the Yellow River, all of which is fully bricked, towering over the riverbank and offering a spectacular sight. Most of the remaining parts are still earthen ramparts.

Nestled against the mountains and leveraging the rugged terrain, it resembles a coiling yellow dragon meandering through the valleys and ridges.