Why is it that everywhere in the land of China is a battleground for military strategists, and where is the most powerful pass in the world?

Shanchuan.com: Ogawa has been fascinated by geography since he was a child. When he was looking through some geographical information when he was a child, the most common adjective he saw about a city and a place was "this sincere military strategist" It is a battleground." At the beginning, whenever he saw this sentence, Ogawa would be very excited and thought that he must study it carefully. But later Ogawa discovered that there were too many of these "must-contested areas for military strategists" on the land of China.

From south to north, from east to west, there are "must-haves for military strategists" almost everywhere. Later, Ogawa also understood that on the one hand, China is a huge country with a vast land and abundant resources. There are many times more good places than a small country. On the other hand, when it comes to urban marketing, it seems that our ancestors were already very good at it. How can local officials in one city or one region attract the attention of the central government so that children who can scream can be fed with milk? Then you have to tell the emperor, this is an important place for military strategists. Your Majesty, you have to give me more troops, horses, food and other things, right?

After getting tired of seeing "the battlegrounds for military strategists", Ogawa began to have a strong interest in China's passes. But after research. Nani, even the name "First Pass" is already blooming all over the country?

Shanhaiguan: The first pass in the world

Let’s talk about Shanhaiguan first. Shanhaiguan, also known as Yuguan, Yuguan and Linlu Pass, is located 15 kilometers northeast of Qinhuangdao City, Hebei Province. It is one of the northeastern passes of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall. Before 1990, it was considered to be the starting point of the eastern end of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall. It is known as China The Great Wall is "one of the three wonders" (Shanhaiguan in the east, Zhenbeitai in the middle, and Jiayuguan in the west) and is known as "the first pass in the world" and "the throat of border counties and the protection of the capital". It echoes the Jiayuguan thousands of miles away. , famous all over the world.

There are different opinions about the origin of Shanhaiguan's name as "The First Pass in the World". Even the author of the "No. 1 Pass in the World" plaque currently hanging on the Shanhaiguan Gate Tower has not yet been determined. . One theory is that it was written by Xiao Xian, a Jinshi scholar in the eighth year of Chenghua in the Ming Dynasty and a native of Shanhaiguan. This theory is found in Linyu County Chronicles compiled in the fourth year of Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty. The second theory was written by Yan Song, a scholar of Wuyingge University during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty. This theory was published in "Yuguan Anti-Japanese War History" published in 1933. Of course, there are also three and four theories, but the ones they spread are really vague, so Ogawa will not elaborate here.

Shanhaiguan is the first pass in the eastern part of the Ming Great Wall. In fact, its military importance was mainly concentrated in the middle and late Ming Dynasty. In the middle of the Ming Dynasty, the main threat to the north came from Oara. In terms of location, the main threat was to the northwest of Beijing. The famous defense battle of Beijing led by Yu Qian (not the one who smoked, drank, and permed his hair) was precisely because after Ming Yingzong was defeated and captured in Tumubao, Wala, with the courage to win, used Yingzong as a threat, and divided his troops into two groups to attack Beijing. Passing through Xuanfu to defeat Juyong Pass, passing through Datong to defeat Zijin Pass, they finally arrived at the gates of Beijing. At this time, Shanhaiguan had not really emerged yet.

In the late Ming Dynasty, the main threat to the Ming Dynasty became the Jurchens. Why was Shanhaiguan so important during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and why was it known as the "No. 1 Pass in the World"? Xiaochuan mentioned one person, Yuan Chonghuan, the famous governor of Jiliao in the late Ming Dynasty. Yuan Chonghuan's important victories in the early stages of his war against the Jin Dynasty, such as the victory at Ningyuan (today's Xingcheng, Liaoning) and the victory at Ningjin (today's Jinzhou, Liaoning), were all fought in the territory of today's Liaoning Province. Today, the handover between Liaoning and Hebei provinces is still Shanhaiguan. Shanhaiguan, for the Ming Dynasty, was the last line of defense against the Jurchens. Without Shanhaiguan, the Jurchen cavalry could basically move unimpeded and arrive at the gates of Beijing.

For the period between Ming and Qing in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, Shanhaiguan was indeed synonymous with "the world". Whoever owns Shanhaiguan owns the splendid mountains and rivers of China within the pass.

Jiayuguan: The most majestic pass in the world

Jiayuguan is known as "the most majestic pass in the world", and it is also "the most majestic pass in the world". Jiayuguan is located in the middle of the narrowest valley 5 kilometers west of Jiayuguan City, Gansu Province. The city walls on both sides of the city pass cross the Gobi Desert. It is connected to the Black Mountain Suspended Wall to the north and the No. 1 Pier in the World to the south. It is the westernmost pass of the Ming Great Wall. It has a history of It was once known as the Throat of Hexi Province. Because of its dangerous terrain and majestic architecture, it was known as the key to the border. Jiayuguan is a transportation fortress on the ancient "Silk Road" and one of the three wonders of the Great Wall of China (Shanhaiguan in the east, Zhenbeitai in the middle, and Jiayuguan in the west).

Jiayu Pass protects the famous Hexi Corridor.

To the north are the Badain Jaran Desert and the Tengger Desert, and to the south are the Qilian Mountains. The melting glaciers and snow in the Qilian Mountains formed a strip of oasis at the foot of the mountains, which became the only way to connect Xinjiang and the Central Plains, which is what later generations called " Silk Road".

In the second year of Yuanshou in the Western Han Dynasty (121 BC), Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty sent General Huo Qubing out of Longxi to attack the Xiongnu, and the entire Hexi Province was included in the territory of the Western Han Dynasty. On the basis of Longxi County and Beidi County, four additional counties in Hexi, Wuwei, Zhangye, Jiuquan, and Dunhuang were added to protect this transportation artery. The name of Gansu Province also comes from two counties in it, namely Ganzhou in Zhangye and Suzhou in Jiuquan.

The current transportation artery in Gansu Province connecting Wuwei, Zhangye, Jiayuguan, and Dunhuang is the G30 Lianhuo Expressway. The direction of its line is still consistent with the ancient Hexi Corridor. In fact, the directions of many important transportation hubs in China still overlap with those of ancient Chinese roads. It is enough to show the importance of these roads since ancient times.

Yanmen Pass: The First Pass in China

Yanmen Pass is located in Yanmen Mountain about 20 kilometers north of Dai County, Xinzhou City, Shanxi Province, China. It is an important pass on the Great Wall, known as " It is famous for its "danger" and is known as "the first pass in China". There is a saying that "there are nine fortresses in the world, and Yanmen is the leader". Together with Ningwuguan and Pianguan, it is called the "Three Outer Passes".

Ogawa’s previous article "Why is it easy for those who win Shanxi to win the world, but it is difficult for those who win Sichuan to win the world (Shanxi chapter)?" " has introduced the important geographical and military value of Shanxi and Datong in more detail. And this Yanmen Pass is an important pass guarding the Datong Basin and Taiyuan Basin.

In ancient times, if Datong was lost, Taiyuan would be in danger, and losing Taiyuan would mean losing Shanxi, and North China, Guanzhong, and the Central Plains would all be in danger. And if North China, Guanzhong and the Central Plains are all lost, it will be the most famous Pianan regime in history - the Southern Song Dynasty. As for the final outcome of the Southern Song Dynasty, everyone knows it.

In addition, there are the Nine Fortresses of the World (from "Lu Shi Chun Qiu" "Lu Shi Chun Qiu You Shi"), which generally refers to Yanmen Pass, Juyong Pass, Badaling Great Wall, Zijing Pass, Chu Great Wall, Huangcaoliang, Jingxing Pass, Juzhu These are the nine ancient Central Plains Great Wall fortresses: Fortress and Pingjingguan.

Also, there are four famous passes in China, namely Shanhaiguan, Jiayu Pass, Tongguan and Youyi Pass.

Finally, post a map of the distribution of important passes in China. Behind every pass on the map is a "debatable battleground for military strategists." Behind the battlegrounds for military strategists is the history of struggle and blood and tears of countless Chinese people over thousands of years in order to defend their homeland and nation.

By the way, the North China Plain with Beijing as the center and the Guanzhong Plain with Xi'an as the center are surrounded by so many dangerous passes, it is really amazing! Friends who are interested can look at the pictures carefully~