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Ningwuguan. Ningwuguan was one of the three outer passes of the Ming Great Wall. It is located in the piedmont of the Guancen Mountain. The pass city occupies the Canopy Mountain in the north and the Phoenix Mountain in the south. The Hui River is running eastward across the south of the pass city. The wings of the city were built along the river majestically. In the Warring States Period Emperor Wuling of Zhao had Loufanguan built there. In the Northern Wei Dynasty Guangning and Shenwu counties set up their government there successively. In the Tang Dynasty, Ningwu County was set up, and from then on ‘Ningwu’ has been used till now. In the Ming Dynasty Ningwuguan was the middle one of the three outer passes and played a very important strategic role.
The Ningwuguan pass city was first built in 1450 with loess ramming ramparts. During the Cheng Hua, Zheng De and Long Qing periods of the Ming Dynasty, it was rebuilt and renovated for several times. In 1498 the pass city was extended. After the extension the perimeter became about 3.5 kilometers, and the rampart was heightened for 1.5 meters, and the north gate was added. In 1606 grey bricks were used to lay outside the whole rampart, and the eastern and western gate towers were built. The shape of the pass city is like a phoenix curling in an oval, and thus is also called ‘the Phoenix City’. To the north of the city, there is a high platform on the top of the Canopy Mountain for the protection of the city. On the platform there is a triple floor building, called ‘the Canopy Building’.
Among the three outer passes, Pianguan was protected by the Yellow River. Only in winters could the cavalry pass it on thick ice. Yanmenguan is famous for precipitous mountains and roads. The cavalry could hardly break through it. The Hui River of Ningwuguan is a seasonal stream. The cavalry could easily go southward along the valley and arrive at the pass when the river was dry. Therefore, Ningwuguan was also chosen for the breakthrough point.
