The current pass was built in 1381 by the Ming general Xu Da and his soldiers, who repaired the older Yongping and Jieling passes. In the late 16th century, the general Qi Jiguang expanded the fortifications with cities and forts to the east, south and north.
The plan is square, with a perimeter of about 2.5 miles (4 km). The walls are 46 feet (14 m) high and 23 feet (7 m) thick, with deep, wide moats and drawbridges on three sides. A tall bell tower stands in the middle, though the article gives no height. There were originally four gates.
Only the Zhendong Gate remains, which the article attributes to a lack of repairs over the centuries. The State Council designated the pass a Major Historical and Cultural Site in 1961, and UNESCO listed it in 1987 as part of the Great Wall.
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