 |
|
Jvyong Pass |
| CCTV.COM 2003-05-18 15:05:23 |
|
Jvyong Pass is one of the most famous passes along the Great Wall. It is located among the mountains northeast of Beijing. The entrance presents a grand sight.
As for the meaning of the Jvyong Pass, there are controversial views. As the legend goes, "Yong" refers to the laborers and soldiers who were forced by Emperor Qin Shihuang to build the Great Wall more than 2,000 years ago. So the pass where they lived was called "Jvyong", which means a pass inhabited by laborers and soldiers.
The Jvyong Pass has a long history. Lv's Sping and Autumn Annals refers to "nine fortresses on the mountains". Jvyong was one of the fortresses. It means that Jvyong Pass was already known to all in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. During the Han Dynasty, a section of the Great Wall was built here.
Murals of the Jvyong Pass were found in an ancient tomb at Horinger, Inner Mongolia. In the mural we can see horse－drawn carts passing through the gate. The gate bears the name of "Jvyong Pass". This is the earliest image of the Jvyong Pass we can see today.
The most valuable architecture in the Jvyong Pass should be the passing tower. From the clear－cut ruts under the Cloud Terrace, you can easily imagine the thriving scenes of men and carts coming and going on the road in the ancient times.
The relief sculptures of Budda built in Yuan Dynasty are quite exquisite in a vivid style. The most precious ones of the relief sculptures are the Four Heavenly Kings cut off both sides of the gateway. They are probably the earliest sculptures of Four Heavenly Kings in China. Their pattern of gesture and form became a model. They influenced the styles of sculptures in the Ming and Qing dynasties.
|
|
Editor: Inner Wu CCTV.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
