Jilu Fortress

Jilu Fortress

Jilu Fortress

Jilu Fortress is located on the western side of the Hariganaha Pass in Shajin Sumu, Dengkou County. It was an important military stronghold during the Han Dynasty. The stone fortress ruins are square-shaped and entirely constructed from stone blocks. Legend has it that Han generals Wei Qing and Huo Qubing defeated the Xiongnu Right Virtuous King here. The "Book of Han

Biography of the Xiongnu" records that in 33 BC, Chanyu Huhanye once again traveled to Chang’an to establish peaceful relations. Emperor Yuan bestowed Wang Zhaojun upon Chanyu Huhanye as his wife, granting her the title "Ninghu Yanzhi" (Consort Pacifying the Hu), and dispatched Gaochang Marquis Dong Zhong and Cavalry Colonel Han Chang to lead troops in escorting her out of Shuofang via Jilu Fortress. This towering fortress, despite having stood for over two thousand years, still remains on the mountainside, serving as a historical testament to the friendship, economic, and cultural exchanges between the Han Dynasty and the Xiongnu.

In the third year of the Han Ganlu era (51 BC), Chanyu Huhanye of the Xiongnu paid homage to the Han court. In February, as the Chanyu returned, the Han sent cavalry to escort him out through Jilu Fortress, and decreed that Gaochang Marquis Dong Zhong and others remain to provide protection. In the first year of the Eastern Han Yongyuan era (89 AD), Han generals Dou Xian and Geng Bing led eight thousand elite cavalry out of the pass to strike against the Northern Xiongnu. Today, the Tushen Lake has dried up, but the ruins of Jilu Fortress still remain.

Jilu Fortress was a renowned northern military and transportation stronghold during the Han Dynasty. It is frequently mentioned in ancient Chinese texts. Its location fully matches the records in the "Commentary on the Water Classic." This was confirmed by Professor Hou Renzhi, a historical geographer at Peking University, after conducting an on-site investigation in 1963. In his article "Han-Era Cultivated Areas in the Northern Part of the Ulan Buh Desert," he provided the following description of Jilu Fortress: "This stone fortress is square-shaped, entirely built from stone blocks, with each side measuring 68.5 meters (external width). The remaining wall height is generally around 7 meters, with the highest remaining section about 8 meters. Each of the four corners of the fortress has reinforcing fortifications. The gate faces south, and inside the gate, there is a stone stairway leading directly up to the top of the wall. Outside the gate, there is a structure similar to a later-era barbican, also built from the same stone blocks, with its gate facing east. Although parts of the stone fortress have collapsed, the overall structure remains largely intact. Within the fortress, fragments of Han-era rope-patterned tiles and bricks can be found. In addition, there are some gray pottery shards, identical to those seen at the ruins of the Yuhun City, all of which are Han-era artifacts."

Based on the clues provided in the "Book of Han: Treatise on Geography" and the findings from the aforementioned on-site investigation, it can be concluded that the present-day Halonggenai Pass is indeed the site of the Han-era Jilu Fortress.

We enter the fortress through its only southern gate, climb up the stone stairway along the wall, and look around. To the north are towering, majestic mountain ranges; in front of the mountains lies an open, gently sloping plain. To the east of the stone fortress, the valley opens wide with no obstructions, allowing a clear view of passing vehicles, horses, and pedestrians—making it extremely easy to defend. The eastern wall of the fortress is the most strategically critical, built right along the edge of a high terrace. This terrace rises abruptly from the valley floor, standing sheer like a wall, reaching a height of 18 meters. Combined with the 7-meter-high stone wall, the total height reaches 25 meters, making it nearly impossible to climb without special equipment. The top of the wall is about 3.7 meters wide, and the base is approximately 5.3 meters thick. The four corners of the wall each protrude outward by more than 2 meters, resembling watchtower platforms. If defenders were stationed here, they could monitor and repel enemies attempting to attack from below. The building materials used for the wall were entirely natural slab stones, with gaps filled with mud. The outer surface of the wall is neatly laid, but due to years of weathering, many sections of the wall top have collapsed. Among the scattered stones within the fortress, remnants of Han-era bricks and tiles can be seen.

During the Yuanshou era of Emperor Wu of Han, the great general Huo Qubing launched a northern campaign against the Xiongnu. He set out from the Beidi Commandery, passed through the Yinchuan Plain, traveled north along the Yellow River, exited through Jilu Fortress, and reached Juyan, achieving significant military victories.

However, historical records also document many instances of peaceful exchanges between the Han and the Xiongnu. In the third year of the Han Ganlu era (51 BC), Chanyu Huhanye of the Xiongnu made his first visit to Chang’an. Emperor Xuan of Han ordered the cavalry of seven commanderies along the route to welcome him with two thousand horsemen. Upon arriving in Chang’an, the Chanyu was accorded exceptional honors by the Emperor. When he returned from Chang’an to the northern deserts, he crossed the Yin Mountains via Jilu Fortress. The Han court not only sent troops to escort him but also "dispatched border grain and rice, totaling thirty-four thousand hu, to provide for his provisions." From then on, there emerged a prosperous and peaceful scene where "for over sixty years, there were no signs of military presence in Shuofang," and "for several generations, there were no alarms of war, the people thrived, and cattle and horses roamed the fields." In the first year of the Western Han Jingning era (33 BC), the Chanyu visited the court again, and Emperor Yuan bestowed upon him Wang Zhaojun, a noblewoman from the imperial harem. Zhaojun, accompanied by the Chanyu, exited the frontier and traveled to the northern deserts via Jilu Fortress through the Halonggenai Gorge.