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Yumen Pass Travel Guide

Xiaofangpan City · Han Great Wall · The Spring Breeze Does Not Pass

The Yumen Pass in 'The spring wind does not pass the Yumen Pass' is actually a small square city built of rammed earth, with a side length of about 25 meters, standing alone on the Gobi Desert. Its moving aspect lies in its desolation—there are no signs of human habitation for dozens of kilometers around, and the wind has carved grooves into the walls.

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Destination Details

Key facts

Best seasonApr–Oct

Suggested stay1–1.5 hours

Key highlightsXiaofang Pan City · Han Great Wall Ruins · Hecang City

Admission ticketOften combined with Yadan and He Cang City for a one-day trip on the west route

RemindThe Gobi has no shade, and when the wind is strong, sand hits your face.

Yumen Pass is located about 90 kilometers northwest of Dunhuang in the Gobi Desert and is the site of a Han Dynasty northern Silk Road pass. The existing Small Square City is a square fortress made of rammed earth, with thick walls and intact four sides. Archaeologists generally believe it is the location of Yumen Pass.

Main Highlights

Small Square City

The city is not large; walking around it takes about ten minutes, but standing in the middle of the Gobi Desert, you feel the passage of time very directly. The vertical grooves eroded by wind on the walls are left by millennia of sand, and approaching closer, you can see reeds in the rammed layers—the wall-building technique of the Han Dynasty.

Han Great Wall Ruins

Near the pass city are remaining sections of the Han Dynasty Great Wall, built layer by layer with red willow, reeds, and gravel, which is completely different from the brick and stone walls of Badaling.

Hecang City

About 20 kilometers east is the site of a Han Dynasty granary, popularly known as "Large Square City," much larger in scale than the Small Square City, and rarely visited by tourists.

Suggested Duration

1 hour: Walk around the pass city and visit the Han Great Wall.
1 day: West Dunhuang tour (Yumen Pass → Hecang City → Yardang Devil City).

Local Tips

There are no supply points along the way; water and food should be prepared in Dunhuang.
The Gobi Desert is windy; hats need to be secured, and contact lenses may cause discomfort.
Climbing in the ruins area is prohibited.