Yumen Pass
Ancient frontier pass on the Great Wall, vital artery of the Silk Road connecting East and Central Asia.
Quick Facts: Who was Yumen Pass?
- Subject:
- Yumen Pass
- Known for:
- Ancient frontier pass on the Great Wall, vital artery of the Silk Road connecting East and Central Asia.
- Verified Source:
- 2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives
Origins & Early Life
Yumen Pass (simplified Chinese: 玉门关; traditional Chinese: 玉門關; pinyin: Yùmén Guān; Uyghur: قاش قوۋۇق, Qash Qowuq), or Jade Gate or Pass of the Jade Gate, is the name of a pass of the Great Wall located west of Dunhuang in today's Gansu Province of China. During the Han dynasty (202 BC – AD 220), this was a pass through which the Silk Road passed, and was the one road connecting Central Asia with East Asia (China), the former called the Western Regions. Just to the south was the Yangguan pass, which was also an important point on the Silk Road. These passes, along with other sites along the Silk Road, were inscribed in 2014 on the UNESCO World Heritage List as the Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor World Heritage Site. The pass is at an elevation of 1400 meters.
Career & Major Achievements
Although the Chinese guan is usually translated simply as "pass", its more specific meaning is a "frontier pass" to distinguish it from an ordinary pass through the mountains. Yumen guan 玉門關 and Yang guan 陽關 are derived from: yu 玉 = 'jade' + men 門 = 'gate', 'door'; and yang 陽 = 'sunny side', 'south side of a hill', 'north side of a river,' and guan 關 = 'frontier-passes'. It is not to be confused with the city Yumen (玉門, literally Jade Gate) in Gansu, China. Although both are within the same Jiuquan "prefecture-level city" (a multi-county administrative unit) of Gansu province, Yumen Pass is located some 400 km (250 mi) to the west of its namesake city. Yumen Pass was one of the most famous passes leading to the north and west from Chinese territory.
Enduring Legacy & Impact
During the Early Han, "a defensive line was established from Jiuquan (known as the Dunhuang Watchtowers or Beacons) in the Gansu Corridor west to the Jade Gate Pass at its end." Travellers to 'The Western Regions' (西域, Xiyu) left China through the famous Yumenguan 玉門關, or 'Jade Gate Frontier-post,' named for the many jade caravans that passed through it. The original Jade Gate was erected by Emperor Wudi (Emperor Wu of Han) soon after 121 BCE and its ruins may still be seen about 80 kilometres (50 mi) to the northwest of Dunhuang which was, until the 6th century, the final outpost of Chinese territory for caravans on their long caravan journeys to India, Parthia, and the Roman Empire. The remains of these two important Han-dynasty gates are about 68 kilometres (42 mi) apart, at either end of the Dunhuang extension of the Great Wall. Until the Tang dynasty, when the gates fell into disuse, all caravans travelling through Dunhuang were required to pass through one of these gates, then the westernmost passes of China. Yumenguan lies about 80 kilometres (50 mi) northwest of Dunhuang.
Chronological Milestones & Life Events
Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Yumen Pass
True or False: “The primary function of Yumen Pass was to facilitate trade only between China and India.”
Answer (FALSE ❌): While it connected to India, the pass served as a crucial link connecting Central Asia with East Asia (China) generally.
Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines
- 2014 League of Legends World Championship — Historical peer (Born in 2014) (2014): The 4th League of Legends World Championship, held in Asia in 2014.
- Adolfo Suárez — Historical peer (Died in 2014) (2014): Key architect of Spain's transition to democracy, serving as Prime Minister 1976-1981.
- Bartolomeo Colleoni — Historical peer (Born in 1400) (1400): Renowned 15th-century Italian condottiero and military officer of Venice.
- Chang Yŏngsil — Historical peer (Born in 1400) (1400): Pioneering Joseon Dynasty inventor and scientist, renowned for mechanical engineering.
Frequently Asked Questions about Yumen Pass
Who was Yumen Pass and what are their primary contributions?
Ancient frontier pass on the Great Wall, vital artery of the Silk Road connecting East and Central Asia. Origins & Early Life: Yumen Pass (simplified Chinese: 玉门关; traditional Chinese: 玉門關; pinyin: Yùmén Guān; Uyghur: قاش قوۋۇق, Qash Qowuq), or Jade Gate or Pass of the Jade Gate, is the name of a pass of the Great Wall located west of Dunhuang in today's Gansu Province of China. During the Han dynasty (202 BC – AD 220), this was a pass through which the Silk Road passed, and was the one road connecting Central Asia with East Asia (China), the former called the Western Regions. Just to the south was the Yangguan pass, which was also an important point on the Silk Road. These passes, along with other sites along the Silk Road, were inscribed in 2014 on the UNESCO World Heritage List as the Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor World Heritage Site. The pass is at an elevation of 1400 meters.
Where can I read more verified chronological archives on Yumen Pass?
Explore verified primary sources, interactive timelines, and contemporary figures in the 2Day Chrono-Wiki encyclopedia or review the original entry on Wikipedia.
Source: Wikipedia