Juyongguan Great Wall
Juyongguan Pass of Great Wall (Juyongguan)
Juyongguan Pass, also known as Juyongguan in Chinese, is located 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of Changping County, about 60 kilometers (37 miles) from Beijing. It is a renowned fortress of the Great Wall of China. It is a national cultural protection unit enlisted in the World Heritage Directory in 1987.
Juyongguan Pass, situated in a valley surrounded by mountains, has long been a military stronghold. As early as the Spring and Autumn Period (770BC-476BC) and Warring States Period (476BC-221BC), the Yan State built fortifications here. In the Northern and Southern Dynasties (386-589), this section was linked to 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 foundation 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 of Great Wall.
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, another one in the north, respectively called 'Nan Kou' and 'Badaling'.
In the middle of Juyongguan Pass lies a high platform called 'Cloud Platform', which is made of white marble. In the Yuan Dynasty, three stone towers were built on the platform. At the end of Yuan Dynasty, they were burnt down. In 1644,the troops of Peasant Uprising led by Li Zicheng,whose stature we saw on the way to the Great wall,took over beijing and entered the city from here.It was Lizicheng,this peasant general who overthrew the Ming Dynasty that same year.At that,this was a very crowded area. Later, a temple called 'Tai'an' was built on the site, but it was destroyed by fire during the reign of Emperor Kang Xi of Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), since when only the platform remained. Inside the platform is an arched doorway. On the walls of the doorway, the statues of four heavenly gods (four gods in Chinese legend who guard the country in four directions) and sutra scriptures are carved. It is a very important strategic place connecting the inner land and the area near the northern border of China. It is also a defensive place for the ancient Beijing City. So it is wanted by all the military parties.
The Juyong Pass area contains many relics associated with popular legends. One of these relics, dating back to the Northern Song Dynasty, is the Five Heroes Temple, which commemorates the ostensible digging of the gully by five men of unusual strength. The fanciful name of the Playing the Zither Gorge (Tanqinxia) is derived from the clear and melodious sounds of the river flowing through it.
Juyongguan Pass is not just a military fortification, but also a beautiful attraction. Juyongguan also features extensive tourist facilities making it convenient but unnatural. It is still an interesting place to visit because of the unusual design and architectural characteristics. Any serious Great Wall enthusiast should visit Juyongguan at least once. Around the pass, the mountains are embellished with beautiful flowers and lush trees. As the layers of green wave, it got the good name of "Juyong Green Layers".It is really a splendid picture! As early as the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234), it was named as one of the eight best scenery of Beijing.
The extant Juyongguan Pass was built in the Ming Dynasty. In the Qing Dynasty, reconstruction work was neglected. In 1992 and 2000, the pass was renovated.
Admission Fee: CNY 45 (April 1 – Oct.31); CNY 40 (Nov. 1 – March 31)
Opening Hours: 08:30 – 17:00
Transportation
Outward Journey:
By bus:
a. Take the Subway Line 13 and get off at Longze Station in Changping District, take the shuttle bus No.20 and you will reach Juyongguan Pass.
b. Take the shuttle bus No.919 (区) (Deshengmen West - Nankou) at Deshengmen Station and get off at Nankou Dongjie Station and take bus No.20 (Shahe - Juyongguan) in Changping District and get off at the terminal station Juyongguan Pass. The trip from Deshengmen Station to Nankou Dongjie Station takes about one and half an hours and the ticket costs CNY 6. The trip from Nankou Dongjie Station to Juyongguan Pass takes about 20 minutes and the ticket costs CNY 0.5.
By car: Take the Badaling Expressway and take the Juyongguan Pass Exit.
Backward Journey:
By bus:
a. Take bus No.20 (Juyongguan - Shahe) in Changping District and get off at the terminal station Shahe, take bus No.345 (快) and get off at the terminal station Deshengmen West.
b. Take bus No.20 (Juyongguan – Shahe) in Changping District and get off at the terminal station Shahe, take bus No.919 (区) (Nankou – Deshengmen) and get off at the terminal station Deshengmen West.
Dining & Accommodation
Juyongguan Pass Great Wall Old Hostel
Located at the foot of the Juyongguan Pass and embraced by the famous sight "Juyong in Green", Juyongguan Great Wall Old Hostel is the only four star hotel in Juyongguan Scenic Area combining the functions of vacation, entertainment and business conferences together. It is a quadrangle building in ancient style. The village-like hotel attracts many visitors by its elegant environment, complete hospitality service and fancy cuisine and living environment. It can accommodate over 200 people dining at the same time, offering Sichuan and Guangdong Food, delicate western-style breakfast, excellent dessert, buffets and barbecues of Chinese and western styles. There are over 100 guest rooms including standard rooms and luxury suites.
