Moshikou Pass, Moshikou Pass Great Wall, Or Xiangshuihu Great Wall

Like Juyongguan Great Wall (Juyongguan Pass Great Wall),  Moshikou Pass (or Xiangshuihu Great Wall) is also an important pass or fort in the Ming Dynasty Great Wall in Huairou District, about 80km north of Beijing center. “Moshikou” literally means a stone polished by the flowing water in the narrow pass.

The pass was a strong military bulding. The pass building also had an inner city, so the fort had two passes, hence “shuang guan” – double passes. The fort was built in 1404. In 1973, a dam was built here 33 mters high and 112 meter wide, adding much grandness the Great Wall, but at the same time, pitifully damaging the original structure of the ancient pass.

The bit of the Great Wall east of Moshikou Pass is locally referred as Xiangshuihu Great Wall perched on a steep slope over 1000 meters long with two towers. “Xiangshuihu” literally means “the gurgling lake Great Wall”, named after the the rippling sound of water flowing through the ancient pass in the valley below the Great Wall.

Exactly speaking, Moshikou Pass narrowly refers to the pass itself, or the entrance of Xiangshuihu Great Wall. But People often use Moshikou Pass, or Moshikou Pass Great Wall, to refer to Xiangshuihu Great Wall, or vice versa. So Moshikou Great Wall and Xiangshuihu Great Wall ofen mean the same section of the Wall.

The Moshikou Pass was bulit in the valley flanked east by Xiangshuihu Great Wall and northwest by Lianyunling Great Wall  and Luanling Great Wall.

The three sections of the Wall – Xiangshuihu Great Wall, Lianyunling Great Wall  and Luanling Great Wall are often referred as  Dazhenyu Great Wall.

In another word, Dazhenyu Great Wall is mainly composed of the three bits of the Wall – Xiangshuihu Great Wall, Lianyunling Great Wall and , which Luanling Great Wall  last about 9km. Dazhenyu Great Wall is named after Dazhenyu Village where it is located.

Tip: Hassle-free Great Wall Guided Tours
Don’t want to go the do-it-yourself route? No worries, We at Tour Beijing have some options for guided tours to Great wall Tours:

Mutianyu Great Wall Group Day Tour
Mutianyu Great Wall Half  Day Private Tour
Hike from Jiankou to Mutianyu Great Wall Tour
Hike from Gubeikou to Jinshanling Great Wall Tour
Hike from Jinshanling to Simatai Great Wall West Tour
Badaling Great Wall + Mutianyu Great Wall Day Tour
Badaling Great Wall and Underground Palace Day Tour
Badaling Great Wall + Forbidden City + Tiananmen Square Day Tour

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Yanhecheng Village
Shuangshitou Village
Cuandixia Village
Mentougou Vernacular Dwellings Day Trip

Further Readings