Geography

Juyong Pass is in the 18-kilometer (11 mi)-long Guangou Valley. During the Ming Dynasty restoration and expansion of the Great Wall, it was one of the Three Inner Passes (t 内三關, s 内三关, Nèisānguān) from Mongolia to Beijing, along with Daoma Pass and Zijing Pass. The pass is also one of the three "Great Mountain Passes" in the Great Wall, along with Jiayuguan and Shanhaiguan. Juyongguan Pass has two 'sub-passes,' one at the valley's south and the other at the north. The southern one is called "Nan (pass)" and the northern is called "Badaling".

History

The pass had many different names during former Chinese dynasties. However, the name "Juyongguan" was used by more than three dynasties. It was first used in the Qin Dynasty when Emperor Qin Shi Huang ordered the building of the Great Wall. Juyongguan pass was connected to the Great Wall in the Southern and Northern Dynasties era.

Juyongguan Great Wall is designed to accept numerous tourists each day

The present pass route was built in the Ming Dynasty and received much renovation later. It was a very important strategic place connecting the inner land and the area near the northern border of China. It was also used to defend the ancient city of Beijing.

Cloud Platform in Guangou Valley.

Cloud Platform at Juyongguan.

Relief carvings in Cloud Platform portal.

History

In the middle of the Juyongguan (pass) and Guangou Valley, there is the Cloud Platform gate, also known as the "Crossing Street Tower". It was built in 1342 during the Yuan Dynasty, and is made of white marble with a height of 9.5 metres (31 ft). There were originally three white pagodas atop the platform, giving it the name of "Crossing Street Tower". They were each destroyed in the transitional period between the late Yuan and early Ming Dynasties. In the early Ming Dynasty, a Buddhist Tai'an Temple hall was built on the platform. It was destroyed in 1702 during the Qing Dynasty.

Platform

The Yuan-era Cloud Platform remains. Around the top of the platform are elements such as stone balustrades and a watch post. They remain in the original Yuan style. On the platform are carvings of Buddhist figures and symbols, as well as Buddhist texts written in six languages and scripts:

• Sanskrit in Lanydza script, Tibetan script, 'Phags-pa script, Old Uyghur script, Tangut script, and Chinese characters
• Tibetan language in Tibetan script
• Mongolian language in 'Phags-pa script
• Old Uyghur language in Old Uyghur script
• Tangut language in Tangut script
• Chinese language in Chinese characters

Portal

In the middle of the platform's base, there is an arched portal - where people, carts, horsemen, and palanquins could pass through. Many images of people and animals were carved inside the arched gate tunnel and around the portal.