The Youyi Pass is situated along the China–Vietnam border. First established during the Han Dynasty, it has long served as a critical defensive stronghold and strategic hub on China’s southern frontier. Throughout history, it has been fortified with watchtowers, artillery batteries, and other border defense structures, witnessing numerous pivotal historical events.
The existing main gatehouse features a towering, robust first floor constructed entirely from large, rectangular bluestone blocks. The central entrance is a single-arched tunnel gate, 10 meters high, narrow at the front and wider at the rear—measuring 7.25 meters wide at the front, 8 meters wide at the rear, and 22 meters long, with a highway running directly through the gateway. Above the gate hangs an ornate plaque carved from white marble, bearing the three majestic characters “Youyi Pass,” penned by Marshal Chen Yi, then Vice Premier of the State Council and Minister of Foreign Affairs. On the first level of the corridor, a series of photographs chronicles the historic victories at the Zhen’nan Pass, the Zhen’nan Pass Uprising, and the moment when the red flag was hoisted atop Zhen’nan Pass.