Located
28 miles northeast of Pingding County in Yangquan City, where
Shanxi Province meets Hebei Province, Niangziguan Pass, originally
called Weizeguan Pass, is regarded as 'The Ninth Pass on the Great
Wall'. It occupies an important commanding position, standing
on the cliff surrounding by the gushing Taohe River.
Niangziguan Pass, translated as 'Women's Pass' in English. The
name comes from a historic event. It is said that the Tang's (618
- 907) Princess Ping Yang, third daughter of Emperor Li Yuan and
the sister of Emperor
Li Shimin commanded an armed force of women soldiers set up
a garrison here. In ancient times, the pass was always being the
point of battle because of the nearby lofty mountains and deep
valleys. The fortress in the pass is built against the high Mianshan
Mountain on one side, while facing a bottomless chasm on the other,
making it impassable even to an army of ten thousand.
The present Niangziguan Pass fortress was rebuilt in Ming Dynasty
(1368 - 1644). There are only two gates – the south gate and the
east gate. The south gate looks extremely dignified with four
impressive characters 'Jing Ji Fan Ping' carved in the front,
meaning the protective screen of the capital. The east gate is
carved with 'Zhi Li Niang Zi Guan', which means the Niangziguan
Pass is directly under the control of the capital.
Nowadays, due to its attractive scenery, it has become a good
place to spend holidays. Near the Niangziguan Pass, there are
many places of historic interest, such as The Platform for Appointing
Commanders, The Tower of Veteran General, and The Washbasin-Like
Pool. The underground water resources within this area are very
rich. The spring water gushes out in an endless flow every year.
The Washbasin-Like Pool is carved in a rock, whose bottom flows
with clear spring water. A legend says that this is the place
where Princess Ping Yang washed her hair. Close to it, there are
many waterfalls, the most impressive one called 'Shuiliandong',
or 'Water Curtain Cave'. From its name, you can imagine what a
big waterfall it is. The waterfall is made up of many small streams,
pouring down from the lofty cliff and creating breaking showers,
layer upon layer in all directions.
Endowed with both cultural relics and beautiful scenery, the
Niangziguan Pass is really worth visiting.