Located in Dai County, Xinzhou of Shanxi province, Yanmen Pass is one of important passes through the inner line of the Great Wall. Situated at a place of strategic importance and difficult to get through, it was regarded as the first pass of the 'Nine Passes under Heaven' in ancient times. Many famous historical battles occurred in this area.

In the Warring States Period (476-221 BC), the original pass was built on the summit of a hill accessible only by an ancient trail, for defense against the Inner Asian nomads. During Yuan Dynasty it eventually fell into disrepair. The current Yanmen Pass was rebuilt in 1374 during Ming Dynasty.

Yanmen Pass is about one kilometer long and the height of the city wall is about 4 meters. There are three gates in Yanmen Pass. The central gate is built over a tiny pass between two hills. Yanmen means "wild goose" because wild geese are seen flying around the pass every year. The western gate is called 'Di Li' which means to choose the proper location for a battle. The eastern gate is called 'Tian Xian' which means an impregnable fortress.

Yanmen Pass is about 20 km from Daixian County and 180 km from Taiyuan City. Since the transportation is not very convenient that there are not many visitors there. If you rent a car from Datong to Taiyuan or Pingyao, you could visit Yanmen Pass en route.

Travel Tips:

Admission Fee: CNY 90

Opening Hours: 8:00-18:00

Transportation:

It takes a 2-hour bus ride from Taiyuan to Daixian County. Then you need take a bus or taxi from Daixian County to Yanmen Pass.

By Bus: take a bus running from Daixian County to Datong, get off at Yanmenguan and then walk about 2 kilometers to get there;

By Taxi: about CNY 100 from Daixian County to get there by taxi.