Third of the 15 Passes: Xifengkou

Xifengkou was a pass located in the eastern section of the Yan Mountains, and was known in ancient times as Lulong Pass. When Cao Cao fought against the Wuhuan west of the Liao River at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, and when Murong Jun of Former Yan advanced into the Central Plains in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, they both passed through the ancient Lulong Pass.

Legend has it that when a young man who had left his hometown for work did not return home for a long time, his father searched for him, traversing thousands of mountains and rivers until he finally found him at Lulong Pass. The father embraced his son when they met and was so overjoyed that he died. He was buried there and Lulong Pass was renamed Xǐféngkǒu (which means "Happy Meeting Gate"), which later became known as Xǐfēngkǒu (which means Happy Peak Gate).

When the Xifengkou Great Wall was first built, the architect divided it into two parts based on military concerns: the pass and the fortress. The fortress is situated in a basin surrounded by mountains, and its four stone walls are seven meters in height, which make it solid and strong. The pass is located on the north side of the fortress, which is against the mountains on three of its sides and against the river on one.

In ancient times, all pedestrians had to pass through three well-guarded gates in order to enter the pass. Xifengkou Pass was so heavily guarded that it was virtually impregnable.

Standing on a summit overlooking Xifengkou today, you will see a strange sight. Xifengkou Pass is partially submerged in water, and only a small part of the wall is visible even when the water is low. The Great Wall follows the rolling mountains up to the riverbank and then snakes down into the water, where it runs underneath for about 2 kilometers before emerging again from the opposite bank, climbing up the mountain ridge and continuing westwards to wind between the tall mountains.

Thanks to the water, vegetation grows in abundance on the mountains along the Xifengkou Great Wall, and its richness transforms the landscape in different ways with each passing season. Standing on the mountain next to Xifengkou and looking out over the lake and mountains, the Great Wall undulates through the greenery of the mountains. The beautiful view of the Great Wall and lush mountains is reflected in the clear and calm water of Panjiakou Reservoir.

In the winter of the sixth year of the Longqing era (1572), Qi Jiguang organized a large-scale military exercise involving more than 100,000 elite soldiers in Tangquan, and invited the Head of Outer Mongolia to visit. 

The exercises fully demonstrated the Ming army's excellent equipment and military force, showing its formidable military strength to the Head of Mongolia. This was a clear message to others that the Ming army was ready to resist invasion with its powerful military might, deterring them from acting recklessly. The troops that were stationed along the Great Wall and continuously held drills and exercises were actually intended to be a deterrent to the enemy.