Shanhai Pass

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Lore & Background

In 1381, Ming general Xu Da and his soldiers were ordered to repair the old Yongping and Jieling passes. From this, they constructed the present pass, which was named Shanhaiguan (literally 'mountain-sea-pass') because of its location between the mountains and the sea. In the late 16th century, Ming general Qi Jiguang began fortification and construction of a military city around the pass, building cities and forts to the east, south and north, making it one of the most heavily fortified passes in China. The pass' strategic location dictated that without mounting a costly direct siege, the only way an invading army can get past the pass' defense was to circumvent it around the north through a few treacherously narrow mountain passes deep within the Yan Mountains, which would make it very difficult to maintain supply lines and thus any sizeable invasions. This defensive significance therefore earned the pass the famous nickname 'Greatest Pass Under Heaven' (天下第一关). During the Qing era, the Shanhai Pass, situated between Shenyang and Beijing, was referred to as the 'Key to the Capitals'. In July 1900, 15,000 Imperial Japanese Army troops landed at Shanhai Pass as part of the Eight-Nation Alliance, prior to marching on Beijing to relieve the Siege of the International Legations by the Boxers. A pre-landing bombardment of the area was unnecessary as few Chinese troops were present. Inter-allied relations were dealt a blow when a drunken fracas occurred at the Shanhai Pass between Japanese and French troops; in the fighting three French and seven Japanese soldiers were killed, and five French and 12 Japanese were wounded. In November 1945, the North Eastern People's Liberation Army attempted to hold Shanhaiguan against Kuomintang forces attacking from the south, but their forces of 10,000 were under equipped and too few to defend the position and retreated to Siping. In 1644, Li Zicheng led a rebel army into Beijing, marking the end of the Ming dynasty. Ming general Wu Sangui contacted the Manchu Qing dynasty, suggesting they combine forces to drive the rebels from the capital. Dorgon, regent of the Qing, marched his army to Shanhai Pass to receive Wu's surrender. Together, Wu and the Manchus defeated Li Zicheng's army near the pass, and Li was forced to abandon the capital. The Qing victory enabled their army to enter Beijing unopposed, and established them as the dominant power in China.

Reader's Guide

The Shanhai Pass is built as a square, with a perimeter of around four kilometres (2.5 mi). The walls reach a height of 14 metres (46 feet), and are seven metres (23 feet) thick. The east, south and north sides are surrounded by a deep, wide moat with drawbridges over it. In the middle of the pass stands a tall bell tower. All four sides once possessed a gate, with the Zhèndōng Gate in the east wall, the Yíng'ēn Gate in the west, the Wàngyáng Gate in the south, and the Wēiyuǎn Gate in the north. Due to lack of repairs over the centuries, only the Zhèndōng Gate remains today. This was the most important gate due to its position, which faces outside the pass towards Beijing. The pass is a popular tourist destination nowadays, especially the location where the end of the Great Wall meets the Bohai Sea, nicknamed 'Old Dragon's Head' (老龙头). In 1961, the pass was selected as a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level by the State Council of China, and it was listed as a World Heritage Site as part of the Great Wall by UNESCO in 1987. The pass' gatehouse heritage site lies nearly 300 kilometres (190 mi) east of Beijing and is linked via the Jingshen Expressway that runs northeastward to Shenyang. The Shanhaiguan railway station, a major stop on the Beijing–Harbin railway, is located directly south of the old site of the barbican wall of the pass' main gate. The climate is hot-summer humid continental with a monsoon pattern (Dwa). The annual average temperature is 11.2 °C (52.2 °F), with an average daily minimum temperature of 5.7 °C (42.3 °F) and an average daily maximum temperature of 16.8 °C (62.2 °F). The average annual precipitation is 613.2 millimetres (24.14 in).

Did You Know?

• The pass was named Shanhaiguan (literally 'mountain-sea-pass') because of its location between the mountains and the sea.
• In July 1900, 15,000 Imperial Japanese Army troops landed at Shanhai Pass as part of the Eight-Nation Alliance, with few Chinese troops present.
• During the Qing era, the Shanhai Pass was referred to as the 'Key to the Capitals'.
• The pass' walls reach a height of 14 metres (46 feet) and are seven metres (23 feet) thick.
• Only the Zhèndōng Gate remains today of the original four gates, due to lack of repairs over the centuries.