Juyongguan Pass, also known as Juyongguan in Chinese, is located 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of Changping County, about 60 kilometers (37 miles) from Beijing. It is a renowned pass of the Great Wall of China. Enlisted in the World Heritage Directory in 1987, it is a national cultural protection unit.
Juyongguan Pass in Beijing
Situated in a valley surrounded by mountains, Juyongguan Pass has long been a military stronghold. As early as the Spring and Autumn Period (770BC-476BC) and Warring States Period (476BC-221BC), the Yan State built fortifications here. In the Northern and Southern Dynasties (386-589), this section was linked to the Great Wall of China. This pass served as a natural barrier to the capital of Yuan (1271-1368) and Ming (1368-1644) Dynasties. Therefore, immediately after the founding of his reign, Zhu Yuanzhang, the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty, ordered the pass to be rebuilt to protect the borders from intrusions of the Mongolian tribe. Many fierce battles were fought in Juyongguan Pass of Great Wall.
The pass is roughly circular with a perimeter of about 4,142 meters (about 4,530 yards). It consists of two passes, one in the south, one in the north, respectively called 'Nan Kou' and 'Badaling'.
In the middle of Juyongguan Pass lies a high platform called 'Cloud Platform', which is made of white marble. In the Yuan Dynasty, three stone towers were built on the platform. At the end of Yuan Dynasty, they were burnt down. Later, a temple called 'Tai'an' was built on the site, but it was burnt down during the reign of Emperor Kang Xi of Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), after which only the platform remained. Inside the platform is an arched doorway. On the walls of the doorway, the statues of four heavenly gods and sutra scriptures are carved.
Juyongguan Pass is not just a military stronghold, but also a beautiful scenic spot. Around the pass, beautiful flowers and lush trees dot the mountains. A splendid picture! As early as the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234), it was named as one of the eight best scenery of Beijing. 
Juyongguan Great Wall
The extant Juyongguan Pass was built in the Ming Dynasty. In the Qing Dynasty, reconstruction work was neglected. In 1992 and 2000, the pass was renovated.
| Admission Fee: | CNY 45 (April 1 – Oct.31); CNY 40 (Nov. 1 – March 31) |
| Opening Hours: | 08:30 – 17:00 |
Juyongguan Pass Travel Tips Juyongguan Pass Transportation
Outward Journey:
By bus:
a. Take the Subway Line 13 and get off at Longze Station in Changping District, take the shuttle bus No.20 and you will reach Juyongguan Pass.
b. Take the shuttle bus No.919 (区) (Deshengmen West - Nankou) at Deshengmen Station and get off at Nankou Dongjie Station and take bus No.20 (Shahe - Juyongguan) in Changping District and get off at the terminal station Juyongguan Pass. The trip from Deshengmen Station to Nankou Dongjie Station takes about one and half an hours and the ticket costs CNY 6. The trip from Nankou Dongjie Station to Juyongguan Pass takes about 20 minutes and the ticket costs CNY 0.5.
By car: Take the Badaling Expressway and take the Juyongguan Pass Exit.
Backward Journey: By bus:
a. Take bus No.20 (Juyongguan - Shahe) in Changping District and get off at the terminal station Shahe, take bus No.345 (快) and get off at the terminal station Deshengmen West.
b. Take bus No.20 (Juyongguan – Shahe) in Changping District and get off at the terminal station Shahe, take bus No.919 (区) (Nankou – Deshengmen) and get off at the terminal station Deshengmen West.
Juyongguan Pass Dining & Accommodation
Juyongguan Pass Great Wall Old Hostel
Chinese name: 居庸关长城古客栈 (Jū Yōng Guān Cháng Chéng Gǔ Kè Zhàn)
Located at the foot of the Juyongguan Pass and embraced by the famous sight "Juyong in Green", Juyongguan Great Wall Old Hostel is the only four star hotel in Juyongguan Scenic Area combining the functions of vacation, entertainment and business conferences together. It is a quadrangle building in ancient style. The village-like hotel attracts many visitors by its elegant environment, complete hospitality service and good food and living conditions. 
Juyongguan Pass Great Wall Old Hostel
Eating Facilities:
It can accommodate over 200 people dining at the same time. It offers Sichuan and Guangdong Food, delicate western-style breakfast, excellent dessert, buffets and barbecues of Chinese and western styles.
Accommodations:
There are over 100 guest rooms including standard rooms and luxury suites. The facilities in the rooms are complete, including central air conditioning system, satellite television, 24-hour hot water and IC card lock system.
Entertainment:
Indoor swimming pool, saunas, bowling, table tennis, billiards, shuffle-board, Karaoke bar
Conference Center:
Small, medium-sized and large meeting rooms; Modern multifunctional meeting halls which can hold over 300 people; the number and shapes of the desks and chairs can be adjusted by guest's requests.
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Related Link: Juyongguan Great Wall Tour
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Q & A on Juyongguan Pass
1.
Nov. 7,2009 07:36 Reply
Mr.Ravi A(USA) said:
If you are planning on taking the subway line 13 to Longze - the instructions above are correct but here's the rest. First, when you exit the subway station at Longze, the bus station is across the street and just to the right. The number 20 is clearly marked. The bus ride out is about 1 hour and 20 minutes long - go to the end of the line in Nankou - the cost is 5 RMB per person - the last bus leaves Nankou at 8pm. When you get there you will see a street sign at the intersection indicating that Juyongguan is 8km from there. There you will have two options: (1) catch the number 68 bus to the Great Wall (last one leaves the wall at 8pm), or (2) take one of the private taxis that will most likely approach you when you get off the bus. The private taxis will charge somewhere between 10-30 RMB. I took the taxis and got to and from the wall with no problem. Once you arrive at the Great Wall, you can go east or west on the wall. The west side is where all of the shops, restaurants, and tourists are located. If you hike the wall in that direction you will reach the end (literally the wall ends with a small terrace) after about an hour (depending on how fast you move). That is also the steeper side, but the view from the top is great. Otherwise, you can go east. The east side is relatively free from people and is a much easier hike. There are no shops on the east side. Both are very cool. Hope this helps, we figured it out by asking various people along the way.
2.
Jul. 3,2009 19:55 Reply
Mrs.Rosemary(Australia) said:
It certainly is an arduous climb and does make you wonder how difficult it must have to build. The steps can be very high - not for anyone who suffers vertigo or has knee problems - and at times was only wide enough for 3 people. We did this as part of our guided tour. For more of a Great Wall experience I would strongly recommend the Mutianyu section. We went up by cable car, wandered along for 2 hours marvelling at the whole site and views, then walked down the set path. We did this before joining our tour and followed the Lonely Planet guide book to get there by bus from Beijing and then a car (from near where the minibus leaves from). We were there for 3 hours. It was just brilliant.
3.
May. 26,2009 14:37 Reply
Ms.Leila Gorospe-Hays(USA) said:
My husband and I climbed this Pass with our 5-year-old daughter in December 2008. We loved the climb although it was indeed a good aerobic (at times anaerobic) workout! Some of the steps were higher than normal so our daughter's climb was twice as hard being that she had short legs! She cried a lot towards the end and climbed 3/4 of the way. My husband and I took turns getting to the top while the other watched our relieved daughter waiting in the rest area. We made the climb a learning experience for our growing child: We kept telling her never to give up even though the going gets tough. For her age, she did very well!
4.
May. 10,2009 10:16 Reply
Mr.Wilmer(Colombia) said:
I had the opportunity to visit this part of the great wall and it was such an amazing experience climbing it all, it was a really arduous climb and when I got to the top I was very tired, and so were the other few who could get to the top cause most of the people cant reach the top. I recommend this experience to anyone who wants to have a really good hiking, and if you get to the top, you will feel a sort of rejoice. Visit this part of the great wall, its amazing.
5.
Jan. 21,2009 11:37 Reply
Mr.Robert Cameron(USA) said:
I have traveled extensively, and in my opinion, climbing the Great Wall at the Juyongguan Pass is the single most impressive day I have had at a "tourist site" (moreso than Rome, or Mt. Fuji, or the Pyramids, or anything in the U.S.A.). The climb is arduous, not for the faint of heart or legs. However, the views are spectacular - I could not be there without reflecting on the task of building and defending the wall, not to mention trying to imagine the discouragement it must have cast into the hearts of the invading armies who faced its daunting fortification. Do not visit China without seeing the Great Wall!
Feb. 13,2009 20:38
Ms.alison washco(USA) replied:
thanks for the info. i'm looking forward to the experience.
Apr. 30,2009 04:55
Mr.Mark A(China) replied:
Where did you stay in town?