Yangguan Pass Ancient Site in Dunhuang

Yangguan Pass Ancient Site in Dunhuang

Attractions Overview: Important part of the Silk Road.
Attraction Type: Cultural; Nature
Chinese Name: 阳关
English Name: Yangguan Pass
Best Time to Visit: All Year Round
Recommended Visiting Time: 2 Hours
Open Hours: All Day
Admission Fee: 50 RMB / Person
Address in English: Dunhuang City, Gansu Province
Address in Chinese: 甘肃省敦煌

More Picture

Why is Yangguan Pass So Special?

The Yangguan Pass, also known as the Southern Pass, was originally built by Emperor Wu as one of two most important passes protecting in the Han Dynasty. The other one is the Great Wall of Han Dynasty. It was one of the two important western passes (the other being Yumen Pass) of the Great Wall in the Western Han Dynasty.

Where is Yangguan Pass?

Yangguan Pass is located approximately 70 kilometers southwest of Dunhuang City, Gansu Province of China.

How to Get to Yangguan Pass?

Travel with China Dragon Tours (top recommended)

If you want to get rid of hustle of transportation and troublesome navigation, you can book a private tour package which covers visiting, dining and transfer from us. Our local tour guide and driver will escort you to Yangguan Pass with speed and convenience, and take care of all the details. You just need to focus on travel.

Independent Travel

For independent travelers you can

Dunhuang City is not well served by public transit. Generally, visitors need to charter a minibus to get around places like Western Thousand-Buddha Cave, Han Dynasty Great Wall, Yumenguan, Yangguan, and Yardang National Geopark. It would cost CNY 400 – 500/per bus.

Main Attractions in Yangguan Pass

Beacon Tower in Han Dynasty

Long history made beacons remained rare, from Yangguan Pass north to Yumenguan Pass there is 70 kilometers of the Great Wall which is linked together, every 10 miles there is beacon, near the Yangguan Pass there are also tens of beacons. Especially in the north of the Antique Beach on the top of the Dundun mountain is the biggest and the highest beacon.

Yangguan Museum

The Yangguan Museum was opened to the public in 2003. It has exhibits from the Han Dynasty times (206 BC–220 AD). The museum has ancient artifacts, paintings, and pictures. It is a fairly basic museum, but the building itself has an interesting style. It is more like a mock-up city in imitation of the pass rather than a simple museum, with gate tower, general’s office, and barracks dotted among the area.

The Inscription Corridor

Beacon tower is tall standing in the Dundun hill, there is built the celebrity inscription corridor. People can walk in the corridor, as well as enjoy contemporary celebrity calligraphy, and poetry. And people can appreciate the ancient ruins of Yangguan, also can overlook the natural scenery of oasis, desert, and snow mountain.

Useful Travel Tips

Take thick clothes because there is big temperature difference between the day and evening.
The best time to visit the site is by either sunrise or sunset. A scarlet sunlight turns the desert into a sea of ‘fire’, a reminder that here was a fierce battlefield.