Located at the western end of the Hexi Corridor, two rammed-earth passes — Yangguan Pass and Yumen Pass — stand silently in Dunhuang's Gobi Desert.

Built in the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24), these "twin passes of the Silk Road" once guarded the ancient trade route, witnessing the blending of Central Plains and Western Regions civilizations.

Yumen Pass in Dunhuang, Gansu province. [Photo/IC]

Historical records indicate that in 111 BC, Dunhuang Commandery was established, and the two passes were built simultaneously, forming a strategic layout known as "four commanderies and two passes".

Both passes served as defensive garrisons and were connected via the Great Wall, acting as the main gateway to the Silk Road.

Yumen Pass lies about 90 kilometers northwest of Dunhuang. It was a key barrier against northern nomads and operated for over 500 years. Yangguan Pass, 70 kilometers southwest of Dunhuang, was a vital gateway on the southern route of the Silk Road, bustling with caravans and traders.

Yangguan Pass in Dunhuang, Gansu province. [Photo/WeChat account: srdice]

Beyond their military significance, the two passes became enduring cultural symbols. Tang Dynasty (618-907) poems express the desolation of Yumen Pass and the sorrow of parting at Yangguan Pass. For centuries, their imagery has appeared in poetry, murals, and literature, representing the frontier and Silk Road culture at their core.

Today, the ruins of Yumen Pass and Yangguan Pass are major cultural tourism attractions in Dunhuang. Through site preservation, tourism development, and academic research, these millennia-old passes continue to tell the story of East-West cultural exchange in the modern era.