Xianxia Pass

Xianxia Pass, formerly known as Guquan Mountain, Quanling Mountain, and Baoquan Mountain, is an ancient Chinese pass. The ancients called it 'the lock and key of both Zhejiang provinces, the throat of entering Fujian,' and it has always been a place of strategic military importance, ranking alongside Jianmen Pass, Hangu Pass, and Yanmen Pass as one of the four great ancient passes of China. Xianxia Pass is located to the southwest of Bao'an Township, Jiangshan City, Zhejiang Province, at the junction of the three provinces of Fujian, Zhejiang, and Jiangxi, and has historically been a critical juncture for traffic between Zhejiang and Fujian. During the fifth year of the Qianfu era of the Tang Dynasty, the rebel army of Huang Chao advanced into Fujian, cutting a path 700 li straight to Jianzhou, thus creating a strategic route. The area around the route is surrounded by high mountains and deep valleys within a hundred li, with treacherous terrain that is easy to defend and difficult to attack. During the Shaoxing years of the Southern Song Dynasty, Shi Hao recruited people to build a stone-paved road along the path. The pass began to be built during the Qiandao era. Although roads were built along the mountains during the Tang and Song dynasties, no defensive facilities were constructed. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, there were frequent wars in this area, and the strategic importance of the route became increasingly apparent. The defenders then built passes and checkpoints at Anmin, Erdu, Mucheng, Huangwo, Liushi, and other places near Xianxia Ridge, within a radius of nearly a hundred li, collectively known as the Six Passes with Xianxia. Each location had two gateways, all constructed of strip stones with arched tops. The gate of Xianxia Pass is 3.2 meters high and 2.4 meters wide, built against the mountain with 5-meter-thick walls on both sides. On the left side, there is a plaque of Xianxia Pass, and on the right side stands a stele that records the history of the ridge pass, making it the most dangerous pass among the Six Passes. At the end of the Ming and the beginning of the Qing dynasty, Zhu Yujian, the Prince of Tang, proclaimed himself emperor in Fuzhou, intending to use the strategic location of Xianxia to resist the Qing troops. However, due to the secret surrender of the Ming general Zheng Zhilong to the Qing, the Qing army entered Fujian through Zhejiang and overthrew the Southern Ming Longwu regime.