Jiaoshan Great Wall

Jiaoshan is located about 3 km north of Shanhaiguan Pass and has a peak 519 meters high. Even and wide enough to accommodate about 100 people, the peak looks like a dragon's horn with giant stones on it. Since Jiaoshan is the first mountain peak of the Great Wall from Shanhaiguan people call it "the First Mountain of the Great Wall".

Built in the first year of the Hongwu reign in the Ming Dynasty, the Jiaoshan Great Wall is 1,536 meters long, spanning from the foot of Hanmeiguan Pass to the peak of Dapingdin. Most of its walls were built using mountain stones and some bricks and long stones. The mountain largely decides the height and width of the wall. Usually, it is 7-10 meters high and 4-5 meters wide. A craggy part of the cliff was used as part of the wall. The narrowest part is only 2.7 meters wide. It is dangerous to climb the northern part of the wall, while to the southern part is ideal for climbing.

Jiaoshan Water Tower

Located on the commanding elevation of Jiaoshan, the two-storied tower is shaped like a four-sided prism, while its peak is square shaped. Covering a total area of 49.2 square meters, the tower is 10.4 meters wide from east to west and 10.2 meters wide from south to north. On the top are crenels, sub walls, watch-out holes, water holes, and so on. The inner side has a 1-meter flange and steps. The outer wall protrudes at 5 meters and has two arrow windows. It is 1.9 meters wide in the middle and 1.8 meters wide on both sides. The main rooms are connected by three 1.15-meter-wide arches, displaying the structure's outstanding architectural ingenuity.

 Xifengkou Gateway

Located in Qianxi County, Hebei Province, the Xifengkou Gateway was an important stronghold located west of the Shanhaiguan Pass. It is one of the 32 passes built during between 1368-1398 under the supervision of General Xu Da. As successive emperors of the Ming Dynasty continued with the construction and reinforcement of this region, in 1452, a 13-meter-tall tower named "Zhenyuan Lou" ("Pacify the Border Tower") emerged on the pass.

Its present name, which means "Peak of Happiness," was developed from an earlier name meaning "Site for a Happy Reunion". Legend has it that a young man yearned to see his father who had gone to build the Great Wall. The son traveled a long way and finally found his father working at this site. Overjoyed after a separation of many years, both father and son died on the spot.

Owing to its position at the juncture of the Nuanhe River Valley and the Great Wall, the Xifengkou Gateway, surrounded by mountains on both sides, served as a key spot for strategists since ancient times. It has a unique structure that includes three gateways connected by walls. Southeast of the Xifengkou Gateway, the stone Xifeng city was installed, with a gate respectively in the west and south.  

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