Yumen Pass, 101 kilometers northwest of Dunhuang, used to be one of the two critical defensive passes protecting Dunhuang from invasion from the West about two thousand years ago. At that time, anyone in China wishing to take the Silk Road west (or east into China through Dunhuang) would go through this pass. If you are familiar with ancient Chinese poetry, then you may recall a poem written by the renowned Tang Dynasty poet, Wang Zhihuan, describing the unique scenery and atmosphere here.

The pass was also known as Little Square City, named after a rare square piece of jade that was sent from the west to the Han emperor. In modern times, there are two gates in each of the western and northern sides of the pass built of yellow clay. Owing to severe erosion, some parts of the walls have collapsed, forming huge holes. On the northern side, there is a road leading west towards the ancient village of Hechang (15km away), which used to be the granary for the pass garrison.

How to get Yumen Pass : The journey to Yumen Pass will require an entire day as the route is not very well marked. To hire a minibus or other vehicle should cost around RMB500. Considering how difficult it is to get there, you may not be very interested, but some may consider the journey itself might be worth the trip.