Juyongguan, translated as Juyong Pass, was a solid stronghold and one of three very important passes. The other two were Shanhaiguan to the far east and Jiayuguan to the far west. Located in Guangou Valley it is flanked by Cuiping and Jingui Mountains.
The current structure is a modern renovation of the pass built by the Ming in the late 14th century with the earliest fortification dating to pre-Qin Dynasty (221BC).
In 1211, Mongol Emperor Genghis Khan breached the Juyong Pass not once but twice in his conquest of China.
Genghis Kahn was the founder of the Mongol Empire and a formidable military leader. During the Jin Dynasty (12th-13th centuries), on one of his campaigns, the Khan lured the Jin army to a field battle at Juyong Pass. Once outside the gates, the Khan’s soldiers retreated knowing full well the Jin soldiers would give chase and leave the Pass unattended. The Jin were swiftly surrounded as the greater Mongol army appeared from the nearby mountains. Deceived and defeated, the Pass was breached and ransacked.
Barely two years later, Juyong Pass was once again under attack by Genghis. This time, the Jin soldiers sealed the north gate but Genghis, not to be outdone, took an alternative route. He travelled over 120mi (190km) southwest to the next but less-guarded pass, crossed it and returned to Juyongguan, attacking it from the south gate and recapturing it.
Juyongguan is a circular route that can be tackled either from the north gate or the south gate. A total of 14 watchtowers are dotted along this 2mi (3.2km) stretch. The width of the wall varies from as little as 4ft (1.2m) to as wide as 55ft (17m).
The path heading west climbs about 2,000ft (600m) up Jingui Mountain to the highest tower. As a steep climb, it is sometimes exacerbated by the steps that can range anywhere between a few inches to 2ft (61cm) in height. The east side is gentler with great views of the fort, the high watchtowers over the two gates and the river pass.
Being close to Beijing, it is a highly trafficked destination putting a lot of strain on the Wall and its ongoing maintenance.
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The Great Wall of China (‘’the Wall”) is one of the most remarkable man-made structures in the world, with the longest building timeline. Beginning in the 7th century BC it continued on and off over several centuries until it peaked in the mid-17th century AD.
The Chinese were masters at building walls. First, they built them around their homes and cities as protection from their ferocious nomadic neighbours. Then, they built them to protect their borders from the wars that raged within their own nation. Most walls were of varying lengths and scattered throughout the land.
The Qin Dynasty squashed the various internal wars, unifying China in 221BC and established the First Empire. Shi Huangdi, the first Emperor and a ruthless ruler, used hundreds of thousands of people to connect and extend the existing walls for defence. By the end of this dynasty 3,000mi (4,800km) of wall ran along the northern border.
The Han Dynasty came next and building on the Wall ceased for a short period. Focus turned to peacetime and opening trade with the West. However, the nomads began raiding again, reprising the need for the Wall to be repaired and extended further. Safeguarding travelling traders became just as important as keeping the nomads out.
After the Han, the Wall was left neglected and crumbling. Vulnerable to attack, it was the sheer size of the Chinese army that kept most intruders at bay until Kublai Khan, a fierce Mongol warrior, forced his way into the capital and took the throne. With both sides of the Wall now Mongol territory, the Wall was no longer needed. Abandoned, much of the early construction disintegrated over time and very little now remains.
The Mongol rule was never accepted. A few decades after Kublai’s death, an uprising forced all the Mongols out and the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644AD) came into power. With the capital city in Beijing, it was much too close to the enemy border. A new wall was rebuilt from scratch. At time of completion, the Wall was 5,500mi (8,850km) long, built by millions of soldiers and forced labourers over a period of 200 years. It is the remnants of this Wall that continues to exist today.
This journey of 2,183mi (3,513km) will begin at its most eastern end where the Wall meets the sea. Regarded as the start of the Great Wall, it is known as Laolongtou (Old Dragon’s Head) because the structure, consisting of a beacon tower and battlement walls, resembles a dragon drinking water from the sea.
The Wall twists and turns its way through the landscape, just like the legendary Chinese Dragon. It crosses mountains tightly straddling narrow cliffs, over lakes and sometimes under, into valleys and through deserts until it reaches the westernmost point ending in a remote outpost in Yangguan.
From the sea breeze on the wall of Laolongtou to the searing sun of the Gobi Desert, I hope to piece together the lengthy story of the Great Wall and the Emperors, Dynasties and Generals that left their mark on it.
Fast facts to give some sense of timeline and the main dynasties during the Wall’s construction:
5th to 3rd century BC – Warring States (Chinese states fighting amongst each other)
221 to 206 BC – Qin Dynasty (First Empire)
206 BC to 220 AD – Han Dynasty
386 to 577 AD – Northern and Southern Dynasties
1125 to 1234 AD – Jin Dynasty (conquered by Mongols)
1368 to 1644 AD – Ming Dynasty (Builders of currently existing wall)
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