Shanhai Pass

Shanhu Kou is situated 35 kilometers northwest of Youyu County and is an important natural pass along the Outer Great Wall. Historically, "going west through Shanhaiguan" referred toShanhu Kou. People from Shanxi would set out from central and northern Shanxi, with one route heading west through Shanhu Kou to exit the pass and enter the Mongolian grasslands, and another going east, passing through Datong and Zhangjiakou to exit the pass into Mongolia. The "Shanxi Pass" mentioned in the folk saying "Go West Through the Pass" refers to the region beyond the northern Great Wall. Once you passed through Shanhu Kou in Shanxi, you entered the regions of Guihua and Suiyuan (collectively known as Guisui), Kulun and Dolon, Uliastai and Kobdo, as well as Xinjiang—areas that were once dominated by Shanxi merchants in trade.

It is flanked by Tangzi Mountain to the east and Dabao Mountain to the west, with Leigong Mountain and Miaotou Mountain to the north. The Great Wall extends from the northeast to the southwest, encircling Shanhu Kou like a semi-circular wall. The mountain ridges on both the east and west sides feature sheer cliffs, while the Cangtou River runs from south to north through the area, forming a natural pass over 200 meters wide and more than 3,000 meters long.

Dynasties throughout history stationed troops and commanders here and established defensive measures. In the 23rd year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty, an earthen fort was built, which was then brick-faced in the 2nd year of the Wanli reign, covering an area of two square li, standing 3.5 zhang tall, and featuring one southern gate. In the 43rd year of the Wanli reign, a new fort was constructed, and a wall was built between the two forts, connecting them into one. Four gates were opened on all sides, enclosing an area of 540 zhang (approximately three li). The old and new forts stood adjacent to each other, with a gate leading north toward Inner Mongolia, connected directly to the Chengtou Fort of the Great Wall, making the terrain extremely strategic. Since the Ming Dynasty reached a peace agreement and opened trade with the Mongolian Oirat tribes, Shanhu Kou became a major trading hub between Central China and the frontier, bustling with merchants and shops.

Shanhu Pass was anciently called Canhe Kou, known as Bailang Kou during the Tang Dynasty and Yalang Kou during the Song Dynasty. During the Ming Dynasty, in order to defend against southern invasions by the Mongolian Oirats, troops frequently marched out from this pass to engage in battles, hence the name “Sha Hu Kou” (Kill the Hu [Mongol] Pass). After the establishment of mutual markets between the Mongols and the Han in the 5th year of the Longqing reign of the Ming Dynasty, weapons were turned into tools of peace, and the horse markets at Sha Hu Fort, Desheng Fort, and Xinping Fort (in Tianzhen) were reopened. To ease tensions, the name was then changed to “Shanhu Kou” (Kill the Tiger Pass).

Shanhu Pass was anciently known as Canhe Kou. During the Ming Dynasty, in order to resist southern incursions by the Mongolian Oirats, troops often marched out from this pass to fight battles, hence the name “Sha Hu Kou.” After the mutual market agreement between the Mongols and Han in the 5th year of the Longqing reign of the Ming Dynasty, the conflict transformed into peace, and the horse markets at Sha Hu Fort, Desheng Fort, and Xinping Fort (Tianzhen) reopened. In 1925, the National Army led by Feng Yuxiang stationed at “Sha Hu Kou.” That same year, Feng Yuxiang appointed Han Duofeng—one of his Thirteen Guardians—as the garrison commander of Sha Hu Pass. To ease tensions and promote trade between Central China and the frontier, Han kept the local colloquial name used since the Qing Dynasty and officially renamed it “Shanhu Pass.” For two thousand years, “Shanhu Pass” has seen continuous warfare, especially between the Zhengtong and Jiajing eras of the Ming Dynasty, when it was captured multiple times by Mongolian forces. After the Qing Dynasty, it became a vital route for those “going west through Shanhaiguan.”

Towering mountains stand opposite each other on both sides of Shanhu Kou, creating an exceptionally steep terrain. To its east is Tangzi Mountain and to its west Dabao Mountain. The open valley of the Cangtou River between the two mountains has been an important north-south passage since ancient times. To this day, the highway between Datong and Hohhot still passes through this area.

The Shanhu Kou fortress was originally built from earth in the 23rd year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty (1544 AD) and bricked over in the 2nd year of the Wanli reign (1574 AD). The city wall is about 1 kilometer in circumference and 11.7 meters high. In the 43rd year of the Wanli reign (1615 AD), a new fort named Pingji Fort was built outside the Shanhu Kou Fort. It had the same length, width, height, and thickness as the old fort, and a wall was constructed between the two forts from east to west, forming a mutually reinforcing stronghold.

The importance of Shanhu Kou and Youyu City during the Ming Dynasty can be seen from the incident where Emperor Daizong bestowed water-and-land divine paintings. Emperor Daizong, Zhu Qiyu, ascended the throne after Emperor Yingzong was captured by the Mongolian Oirats. To pray for Yingzong’s safe return, he vowed that if the Oirats were defeated and Yingzong was liberated, he would bestow the “water-and-land divine paintings” to Youyu County in Shuoping Prefecture. Later, when Yu Qian organized the successful defense of the capital and Yingzong was released, Emperor Daizong sent officials to present the “water-and-land divine paintings” to Youyu as thanks to the divine spirits. The “water-and-land divine paintings” were 120 rare and precious paintings from the imperial collection. It is said that many of these paintings were created by Wu Daozi and Yan Liben during the Zhenguan era of the Tang Dynasty. Some surviving fragments of these treasures are now housed in the Shanxi Provincial Museum.

Shanhu Kou and Youyu City, as military strongholds, have been sites of continuous warfare since ancient times, particularly between the Zhengtong and Jiajing eras of the Ming Dynasty, when they were captured multiple times by Mongolian forces. However, during a battle in the 36th year of the Jiajing reign (1557 AD), the defending garrison, without any external aid, held out alone in Youyu City for eight months—an occurrence rarely seen in Chinese military history.

This war originated from the “Taosongzhai Incident.” Taosongzhai was the concubine of Altan Khan’s son, Xin'ai. She was caught having an affair with one of Xin'ai’s subordinates and fled in panic to the Ming Dynasty. Yang Shun, the then Datong governor, eager for merit, sent her to the capital. In retaliation, Xin'ai attacked Shanhu Kou and besieged Youyu City. Seeing the worsening situation and regretting sheltering Taosongzhai, Yang Shun falsely reported to the court that the Mongolian leader Xin'ai was willing to exchange the captured Han Chinese who had fled after the failure of the White Lotus Rebellion for Taosongzhai. The emperor agreed to release Taosongzhai, but instead of retreating, Xin'ai reinforced his troops and simultaneously launched attacks on Youyu City and sections of the Great Wall near Datong and Xuanfu.

Under repeated fierce attacks by the Mongolian forces, the soldiers and civilians of Youyu City fought bravely. After the death of the city’s defender in battle, a retired military officer named Shang Biao volunteered to lead the defense. Despite extreme adversity, he not only repelled enemy assaults but also seized opportunities to raid enemy camps. From September until April of the following year, although Youyu City had not fallen, its inhabitants were nearly starving, having exhausted even their livestock.

At the most critical moment, the Ming court dispatched Grand Secretary Yang Bo, Minister of War, to lead a large army to relieve Youyu. Seeing that the city was impenetrable and reinforcements were approaching, the Mongolian forces voluntarily lifted the siege and withdrew from Shanhu Kou back beyond the Great Wall.

After this battle, Shanhu Kou, Youyu City, and the Great Wall in the surrounding areas were reinforced and renovated. Guard forces were increased, significantly enhancing the defensive capabilities of Shanhu Kou.

The historical tale of “Going West Through Shanhaiguan” took place at Shanhu Kou.

In the early Qing Dynasty, prolonged wars to suppress peasant uprisings and anti-Qing resistance caused severe destruction to the economy north of the Great Wall in Central China. Farmlands lay barren, houses were in ruins, and populations declined. Large numbers of bankrupt farmers from Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu, and parts of Hebei—as well as defeated rebel troops—left their homes in groups, big and small, some with their families and others alone. They risked illegal border crossing and went “west through Shanhaiguan” (referring to Shanhu Kou in Shanxi, later broadly meaning any western pass out of the Great Wall into western Inner Mongolia), heading for Guihua “to seek food and survival.” At the time, migrants moved west from Tumote, either renting land from Mongolian herders to farm or cultivating land illegally in the deserts, forming the migratory wave of “Going West Through the Pass.” Coupled with the Qing Dynasty's conciliatory policies toward Mongolia, the promotion of Tibetan Buddhism, and the construction of temples—which attracted large numbers of craftsmen and bankrupt farmers from Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Hebei—the Tumote chieftain Xiao Shunyi Wang, whose population had sharply decreased due to the ravages of the Lin Dan Khan conflict in the late Ming Dynasty, broke with tradition and recruited people of all ethnicities to make up the required 30 sumu (each sumu consisting of 150 households). As a result, migrants from Shanxi and Shaanxi flocked to join the Mongolian registry. With the relaxation of Qing restrictions on Mongolia and a continuous influx of bankrupt farmers due to natural disasters, the people “going west through Shanhaiguan” gradually expanded from Tumote westward to Alxa and Ejin banners, farming and herding for survival. This continued until the liberation. Only after liberation did the painful history of “Going West Through the Pass” come to an end.