Juyongguan Pass is located at 50 kilometers northwest of downtown Beijing. The mountains flanking the valley have many graceful peaks. The slopes on both sides of their narrow passes are covered with dense trees and plants. So it used to be one of the famous “ Eight View of Yanjing”. There was a 20-kilometer-long valley called “ Guangou” from south to north with 4 passes along the valley named “Nankou, Juyongguan, Shangguan and Badaling”. They were of great strategic importance in defending the national capital Beijing. Juyongguan Pass is one of them.
The 20-kilometer-long valley flanked by mountains was considered a screen of vital importance in the defence of Beijing in ancient times. Juyongguan Pass was one of the important of the Great Wall. It was built in a mountain gap between mountain peaks with only one road leading to the capital Beijing from the north passes through it, which determined its military significance in ancient times through many dynasties and it has been a contested point place by military strategists through the ages. In history it witnessed several battles that decided the fate of some dynasties. In 1122, the Jin court empire (1115-1234) led the army, took Juyong Pass first, then marched on to Beijing and finally overthrew the Liao Dynasty (907-1125). The troops of the Ming also first took the Pass before they attacked Beijing, the capital of the Yuan Dynasty (1206-1368). Some 277 years later, the peasants’ uprising troops led by Li Zicheng did the same thing in 1644 and overthrew the Ming Dynasty. From these we can see how important role that Juyong Pass played in the history.
The name “ Juyong ” in Chinese means “ a place of poor laborers”. According to historical record, Emperor Qin Shihuang forced many conscripts to build this part of the Great Wall. In 1992, our government made a thorough renovation of Juyong Pass and brought it back to its usual power and grandeur, and it was opened to the public. Now it is a historical site under top state protection.
Juyongguan Pass is located at 50 kilometers northwest of downtown Beijing. The mountains flanking the valley have many graceful peaks. The slopes on both sides of their narrow passes are covered with dense trees and plants. So it used to be one of the famous “ Eight View of Yanjing”. There was a 20-kilometer-long valley called “ Guangou” from south to north with 4 passes along the valley named “Nankou, Juyongguan, Shangguan and Badaling”. They were of great strategic importance in defending the national capital Beijing. Juyongguan Pass is one of them.
