Huangyaguan Great Wall Scenic Spot is located on the East Mountain 30 km away from the northernmost of Ji County. Originally built in the Northern Qi Dynasty and rebuilt in the Ming Dynasty, it is composed of Huangyaguan and Taiping Village. It was redesigned and overhauled when the famous general Qi Jiguang of the Ming Dynasty was the commander of Ji Town. This section of the great wall is featured with both brick and stone walls, square and round watchtowers, and solid and hollow bricks. With a wide range of fortifications, Huangyaguan Great Wall is masterly arranged and functions as the main strategic pass between Ji County and Xinglong Country of Hebei Province and it is also the only fort in Ji County. With steep cliffs on both east and west sides, it is easy to defend and difficult to attack; thus it was such a place that had always been contested in history.
It was named Huangyaguan (yellow cliff pass) because of the golden sunlight reflections on the cliff at dusk. The pass consists of Zhengguan, Water Pass, East and West Shaocheng, and the beacon tower. Water Pass is a five-hole style bridge built in the Yongle era of the Ming Dynasty, with a total length of 75.5 meters and a height of 12.15 meters. Connecting Taiping Village in the east and Huangyaguan Great Wall in the west, Water Pass dominates the Ju River valley. With crenels, loopholes and iron fence, it allows water to pass through but not troops. It was used for military purposes at wartime and as customs for tax collection otherwise. Today only the north city wall relics still exist, also known as the Eight Diagrams City which got its name from the Eight Diagrams Street inside the city. It was a local government office and composed of Weng City, Outer City and Inner City with gates and towers on the east, west, and south. The north side of city wall had no gate for defense needs but a Beiji Temple was built upon it also know as Guan Yu Temple.
Taiping Village is located in Xiaopingan Village 1 km to the southeast of Huangyaguan at 700 meters above sea level. With a total length of 873 meters , it starts from Banlagang Mountain in the east and ends at the Widow House in the west, connecting the Phoenix House in the northwest and Shuiguan in the southwest. It controls the fortress in the Chongshan valley on the east side of Huangyaguan and best known for steep mountains and magnificent Great Wall.
