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Xifēngkou. Xifēngkou was located more than 50 kilometers to the northwest of Qianxi County, Hebei Province. It was in the boundary of the Luan River Valley and the Great Wall, among lofty mountains and leading to the south and the north. In ancient times it was called ‘Lulongsai’. In the Han Dynasty a pass named Songtingguan was set up there. In the end of the eastern Han Dynasty when Cao Cao fought with Wuhuan of Liaoxi, the Han troops passed the place. In the eastern Jin Dynasty when the Yan troops attacked the Central Plains, they also passed there. It is said that once there was a garrison soldier who had not go back home for ages. His father then went a long way to seek him and finally they met at the foot of the pass. The father was too happy and suddenly died there. At last the father was buried there, hence the name of the pass Xiféngkou (the pass of happy meeting), and later the pronunciation was changed into Xifēngkou.
Xifēngkou was built in 1452 and has a very unique structure. For intensifying the defense, three pass gates were set up, connected by strong stone based brick walls. At each of the 6 contact points of the ramparts there was built a hollow watch tower. The western rampart was connected with the main body of the Great Wall, and was strongly fortified. In 1976 when the Panjiakou reservoir had been dammed, Xifēngkou and its pass cities were all covered up, only little ramparts were upon the water. Today the Great Wall follows the meandering mountain and approaches the bank of the reservoir, like a long dragon bending over for a drink or a huge dragon raising his head to fly. It is marvelous.
