Juyong Pass

Beijing, China

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Juyong Pass, located about 50 kilometers northwest of central Beijing in the Changping District, is a strategically important mountain pass on the Great Wall of China. It lies in an 18-kilometer-long valley surrounded by mountains, making it naturally defensible and historically key to protecting the northern approach to Beijing.

Originally fortified as early as the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, it was integrated into the Great Wall during the Northern and Southern Dynasties and extensively rebuilt during the Ming dynasty in the 14th century to fend off Mongol invasions.

The pass includes two gates, southern Nan Guan and northern Bei Guan, connected by a circular wall with watchtowers and an enemy city make-up. A famous Yuan dynasty structure, the Cloud Platform, stands at the pass, bearing ancient inscriptions. Juyong Pass has long been considered one of the three major mountain passes of the Great Wall and remains a prominent cultural and military landmark that has been restored and preserved as part of China's heritage.