Economy and Business

Quake-hit Sword Gate Pass reopens to visitors

By Yang Jie and Huang Zhiling (China Daily Sichuan Bureau)
Updated: 2010-04-26 11:10

CHENGDU - Jianmenguan, or Sword Gate Pass, a state-level scenic spot in Jiange County, Sichuan province, will reopen its door to visitors on April 29 after the magnitude-8.0 earthquake two years ago.

With lofty mountains resembling sword blades, the pass, which boasts unparalleled natural beauty and profound tales, is known as "the most majestic pass in China".

Lying near the north end of the Longmen Mountain fracture zone of the Wenchuan earthquake on May 12, 2008, more than 72 scenic and associated service infrastructures in the area were badly damaged.

The local government closed the scenic spot for reconstruction which lasted a year and a half. A new landmark mansion, theme parks, cliff sight-viewing path and a 4D cinema were also built.

"The architectural style of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) is adopted in the reconstruction to retain its previous beauty," said Tian Zhongwen, magistrate of Jiange.

"New signs are written in Chinese, English, Japanese and Korean. Emergency, security and access control systems are also available in the spot," he said.

The local government will hold a 5-day tour festival featuring a mass wedding and a rock-climbing competition over the May 1 holiday period.

The pass, which will be included in the World Cultural Route Heritage and approved by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), was used as a natural military pass by the Shu Kingdom to defend against invaders during the Three Kingdoms Period (222-280AD).

The household Chinese idiom "yi fu dang guan, wan fu mo kai" or "one man at the pass keeps 10,000 at bay," came from this steep Jianmen Pass.