Juyongguan Pass is located in
an 18 kilometer-long valley named "Guangou" which is inside
Changping County more than 50 kilometers from Beijing City. It is one
of the three greatest passes of Great Wall of China. The other two passes
are Jiayuguan Pass and Shanhai Pass.
It had many different names in the past dynasties. However, the name
"Juyongguan Pass" was used by more than three dynasties. It
was first used in the Qin Dynasty when Emperor Qinshihuang ordered to
build the Great Wall. Juyongguan Pass has two passes, one at the south
and one at the north. The south one is called "Nan Pass" and
the north one is called "Badaling".
This Pass was connected to the Great Wall in the Northern and Southern
Dynasties.
In the middle of Juyongguan Pass, there is a "Cloud Platform"
with another name of "Crossing Street Tower". It was made
of white marble in the Yuan Dynasty with a height of 9.5 meters. Around
the top of the platform there are many architectures such as stone railings
and a watching post. They are still kept in the style of the Yuan Dynasty.
In the middle of the base of the platform there is an arched door where
men, horses and carriages could pass through. Many animal images were
carved in the arched hole and the arched door. On the walls of both
sides of the door, the statues of gods and scriptures are carved. There
were three white towers on the platform in the past (this is how it
got the name of "Crossing Street Tower") and were destroyed
in the transitional period between the Yuan Dynasty and the Ming Dynasty.
Later a Tai'an Temple was built on the platform but was later destroyed
in the Qing Dynasty.
The present Pass was initially built in the Ming Dynasty and received
much renovation later. 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.
As there are lush flowers and trees around the Pass like layers of green
waves, so it got the good name of "Juyong Green Layers", which
belongs to one of "Yanjing Eight Best Sceneries".
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