Juyongguan Pass

Juyongguan Pass is located in an 18 kilometer-long valley named 'Guangou' which is inside Changping County more than 50 kilometers northwest of downtown Beijing. It is one of the three greatest passes of Great Wall of China. The other two passes are Jiayuguan Pass and Shanhaiguan 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(420- 589 AD).

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(1271- 1368 AD) 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 on 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 a place where dispute  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'.