Shanxi Great Wall: Yanmenguan Pass Niangziguan Pass Pianguan Pass
Shanxi is among the leading provinces in China in terms of the number of its great walls. People are still finding great wall relics in over forty of its counties. Many of the wall segments are very famous including Yanmenguan Pass, Niangziguan Pass, and Pianguan Pass. The Great Wall near Pianguan Pass stands on the cliff near the banks of the Yellow River in contrast to the other walls that were built on mountain ridges. Niangziguan Pass is also one of the most famous passes of China Great Walls. It got the name because Princess Pingyang of the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907) once led an all-women army to defend against enemy forces here. (Niangziguan means "women's army").
Shanxi Great Wall Map
For centuries Shanxi's border served as a line of defense against marauding nomadic northern invaders. It is recorded that approximate 3,500 km (2,175 miles) of great walls were built in order to forestall the invading tribes. These walls were constructed during the years between the Warring States Period (476 - 221 BC) and the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911).
Shanxi Great Wall is comprised of an inner great wall and an outer great wall. The 380-kilometer outer section is located at the border separating Shanxi and Inner Mongolia. The 400-kilometer inner section is located between Qinxian County and the Yanbei area of Shanxi. According to the different construction times, Shanxi Great Walls can also be divided into 8 parts: Great Wall of the Warring States Period, the Eastern Wei (534 - 550) Great Wall, the Northern Qi (550 - 577) Great Wall, the Northern Zhou (557 - 581) Great Wall, Great Wall of the Sui Dynasty (581 - 618), Great Wall of the Song Dynasty (690 - 1279), Great Wall of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644) and Great Wall of the Qing Dynasty, among which the Great Wall of the Song Dynasty in Kelan County is the only Song-dynasty great wall in China. The emperors in the Ming Dynasty considered these defensive fortifications to be a critical national priority. So much so that they renovated all of the great walls in
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| Guguan Pass Great Wall Map |
Traveling along Shanxi Great Wall one can not only see beacon towers but also many ancient villages and towns. In these villages and towns, there are age-old commercial streets and well-preserved city walls with their strategically placed towers. One can also learn about many famous generals and the glorious military accomplishments in ancient China. Among them are such luminaries as LIan Po in the Warring States Period, Wei Qing, Huo Qubing and Li Guang in the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD) and Yuchi Gong and Xue Rengui in the Tang Dynasty.
Shanxi Great Wall Photos: Niangziguan Great Wall Photos Guguan Great Wall Photos
