Juyongguan Great Wall
By admin on 2015-01-16

"One of the three greatest passes of the Great Wall of China",JuYongGuan Great Wall, is a pass ('guan' means 'mountain pass') through the mountains located in an 18 km long valley named GuanGou which is in ChangPing County, about 60 kilometers (37 miles) from Beijing City. Enlisted in the World Heritage Directory in 1987, JuYongGuan Great Wall is a national cultural protection unit.

Situated in a valley surrounded by mountains, Juyongguan Pass has long been a military stronghold. The Pass is roughly circular with a perimeter of about 4,142 meters (about 4,530 yards). It consists of two passes, one in the south, one in the north, respectively called 'Nan Kou' and 'Badaling'.

JuYongGuan had many different names in the past; however, the name JuYongGuan Pass was used by more than 3 dynasties. It was first used in the Qin Dynasty when Emperor QinShiHuang gave the orders to build the Great Wall of China. This pass served as a natural barrier to the capital of Yuan (1271-1368) and Ming (1368-1644) Dynasties. Therefore, immediately after the founding of his reign, Zhu Yuanzhang, the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty, ordered the pass to be rebuilt to protect the borders from intrusions of the Mongolian tribe. Many fierce battles were fought in Juyongguan Pass.