Xifengkou Gateway

Xifengkou Great Wall in Hebei

Xifengkou Great Wall, one of the 32 important passes built by General Xu Da during the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644), is located 60 kilometers (37 miles) northwest of Qianxi County, Hebei Province. It occupies Luanhe Valley, a strategically important location where lofty mountains reach to the sky. Many famous battles took place in this area.

In terms of military considerations, Xifengkou Great Wall is divided into two parts: Guan Cheng (frontier pass city) and a citadel. Guan Cheng is the pass where it is said one solider could guard against ten thousand invaders. It is the most concentrated stronghold along the defense line of the Great Wall. The architectural structure of Guan Cheng in Xifengkou Great Wall is peculiar in that the three Guan Cheng are linked together by an array of strong stone walls.The strongly fortified walls together with the watch towers strengthen the defensive capability of the Xifengkou Great Wall.

Now, due to the construction of the Panjiakou Reservoir, the main part of the wall has been submerged by the rising water but it is still dimly visible, which makes it a unique sight along the Great Wall. Look down at the Xifengkou Great Wall from the top of the mountain and you will see that it looks like a giant dragon zigzagging through the water.

Sandaoguan Great Wall 

Sandaoguan Great Wall, Hebei

Located five miles northeast of Shanhaiguan Pass, Sandaoguan Great Wall (meaning "Three Passes Great Wall") was built to defend against enemy intrusions in the ancient wars. The wall was strategically important and gives the appearance of a giant dragon surging forward to the top of the cliffs and then suddenly rushing down to the bottom of the valley.

The wall was built by layering stones. It is over fifteen feet high, 6.5 feetwide and over 500 yards long. The first pass is a gully surrounded by steep cliffs; the second lies between two precipices standing face-to-face and the third pass is located high on the mountain.

It is no exaggeration to say Sandaoguan Great Wall is one of the most wondrous segments of the Great Wall. Amazingly, some segments of the wall here were builton cliffs at a 90 degree incline. It appropriately earned the nickname "The Wall Hanging Upside Down".