The first pass in the world - Shanhaiguan
The finishing touch
Shanhaiguan is located 15 kilometers northeast of Qinhuangdao City, Hebei Province. It is a pass in the east of the Great Wall of the Ming Dynasty. Important pass.
Classic Interpretation
In the 14th year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty (1381), Zhu Yuanzhang sent General Xu Da to set up Shanhaiwei here. "The throat of Liaoji (jì) was moved here, and the Great Wall was used as the site of the city." In December of the following year, people built the Shanhaiwei City. The guard was called Shanhaiwei, and the pass was called Shanhaiguan, mainly because it was located between the mountains and the sea. between.
Shanhaiguan is adjacent to Yanshan Mountain in the north and Bohai Sea in the south. The terrain is dangerous and it straddles the throat of Northeast and North China. In ancient times, it was a battleground for military strategists. There has always been the "key to the two capitals" It is said that "unparalleled land is the first pass of the Great Wall". Guancheng is 14 meters high, 7 meters thick, and 4 kilometers in circumference. It is square in shape. The entire city is connected to the Great Wall, with the city as a gateway. Shanhaiguan City has four gates: "Zhendong" in the east, "Yingen" in the west, "Wangyang" in the south, and "Weiyuan" in the north. Each gate is built with a tower and is protected by a moat outside.
Among the four city gates, the Zhendong Gate is the largest and most complete. There is an arrow tower above the gate and an urn outside the gate. The plaque hangs high under the eaves of the archery tower. The font is thick, vigorous and powerful, and each character is 1.6 meters high. Legend has it that when Xiao Xian resigned from Fujian and returned to his hometown, the emperor ordered the town to hang a plaque on the east gate of Shanhaiguan to boost the country's prestige. The mayor of the town had been practicing writing for a long time, but he couldn't write well. He hired many literati, but they couldn't write well, so he came to invite Xiao Xian. Seeing that the mayor was sincere, Xiao Xian agreed. From then on, Xiao Xian swung a five-foot-long pole in his yard every day to practice his arm strength. Every time, he was so tired that he was covered in sweat, but he still failed to practice well in a short period of time.
One day, the emperor sent an imperial envoy to see if the plaque was finished. The mayor went to Xiao Xian's house in a panic to tell the truth. Xiao Xian said regretfully: "I haven't developed my arm strength yet, that's all I can do." After saying that, he spread the paper and waved it, and it was done with one swipe. The mayor of the main town was busy ordering craftsmen to make the plaque, and then hung it up.
After the plaque was hung, Xiao Xian took a look and found that the word "下" in "The First Pass in the World" was actually written as a "T", which was a little missing. The general town was stunned, but Xiao Xian calmly took out the handkerchief, soaked it with ink, raised his hand and threw it, and only heard a "bang" sound, which was impartial and just made up a little bit. The word "下" was so integrated that the head of the town broke out in a cold sweat and said to Xiao Xian, "It's a magic pen!"