Niangziguan was originally one of the Great Wall passes built by the State of Zhongshan during the Warring States Period. In the Tang Dynasty, the Chengtian Army garrison was stationed here, and Chengtian Army City was constructed between 767 and 779 AD. The Chengtian Stockade was erected in the Song Dynasty. The name Niangziguan first appeared in a poem by Yuan Haowen of the Jin Dynasty: "Niangziguan boasts even more precipitous scenery". In the Ming Dynasty, repeated border conflicts prompted the reconstruction of the castle in 1542, with full-time garrison troops stationed. The pass retains its original Ming layout today. In the Qing Dynasty, the Guguan Battalion was added with junior military officers on guard duty. Located at the southern end of the Inner Three Passes section of the Great Wall, it earned the title of the Ninth Pass of the Ten-Thousand-Li Great Wall.

Niangziguan is also celebrated for its breathtaking natural scenery. The Niangziguan Waterfall plunges a hundred feet down the sheer cliff into a magnificent curtain of spray, scattering water droplets like pearls and jade to the valley floor. Nearby attractions include the Water Curtain Cave and Baotu Spring. Brooks flow through every courtyard and springs bubble up everywhere, forming an idyllic landscape of small bridges, running water and rural cottages. Since ancient times, numerous literati have visited and left many enduring poems. Two famous couplets read: "Among a hundred and twenty strategic passes, which ranks supreme? Along three thousand vital thoroughfares, this pass wins renown." "Ancient garrets crown the tower, stockades stand beside the wall; Green mountains lie beyond the city, and a river winds beneath the ramparts."

Niangziguan has a long history. According to records, Weize County was established here during the Kaihuang reign of the Sui Dynasty. Princess Pingyang, the third daughter of Emperor Gaozu and younger sister of Emperor Taizong of the Tang, stationed her women’s army here, which gave the pass its name. Another version traces the name to the Dunu Shrine dedicated to the younger sister of Jie Zitui. Legend said that if elegantly dressed women passed the shrine, thunder and lightning would suddenly break out out of the goddess’s jealousy. The shrine is long gone, but a Tang stele Ode to the Jealous Goddess is preserved in the Shanxi Provincial Museum.

The name Niangziguan first appeared in Yuan Haowen’s poem Visiting Chengtian Hanging Spring. It was officially recorded for the first time in the Unified Records of the Great Qing Dynasty compiled in 1764. There are many folk stories about the origin of the name. Gu Zuyu of the Ming Dynasty wrote in Essentials of Historical Geography that thunder would strike gorgeously dressed women passing the Dunu Shrine. The Yuanhe Prefectural Records states that Jieshan, sister of Jie Zitui from the State of Jin in the Spring and Autumn Period, burned herself to death on Mianshan Mountain, and locals built the shrine in memory of her. The other legend holds that Princess Pingyang guarded the pass and built the city, hence the name Niangziguan (Ladies’ Pass). None of these tales, however, can be verified by reliable historical documents.

After the Shijiazhuang–Taiyuan Railway was completed, the Yangjing Highway and Weize–Guguan Highway were built after the founding of the People’s Republic of China. The double-track and electrification projects of the railway further improved local transportation, laying a solid foundation for economic development.

The present Niangziguan Pass was finished in 1542 in the Ming Dynasty, consisting of two gates and a city wall stretching about 650 metres. The East Gate is a brick archway, also known as the Outer Gate, sturdy and magnificent. The five characters "Niangziguan of Zhili" are carved above the passage. The upper platform was built for military reviews and sentry duty, and a newly built tower makes the pass extremely formidable, easy for one soldier to hold against thousands. The winding ancient Yan-Zhao Road stretches outside the pass.

The South Gate, or Inner Gate, has a brick arch below and a two-storey tower above, with a horizontal plaque reading "The Ninth Pass Under Heaven". Four large characters "Barrier of the Imperial Capital Region" are inscribed over the archway. Historical relics such as Guan Yu Temple and Zhenwu Pavilion stand inside the city. Streets and houses still retain Tang-Dynasty features, and most villagers are descendants of Ming and Qing military households. A brick terrace beside the Tao River inside the East Gate is known as the General Reviewing Platform of Princess Pingyang. As a brilliant female heroine in Chinese history, she always kept her sword and horse ready even after marrying General Chai Shao. Her heroic reputation has been passed down together with Niangziguan to this day.

Also called Weize Pass, Niangziguan sits on the border between Shanxi and Hebei, a crucial stronghold on the Great Wall. The couplets on the pass perfectly capture its charm: "Among a hundred and twenty strategic passes, which ranks supreme? Along three thousand vital thoroughfares, this pass wins renown." "Ancient garrets crown the tower, stockades stand beside the wall; Green mountains lie beyond the city, and a river winds beneath the ramparts." It is hailed as the Gateway of Sanjin and the Ninth Pass Under Heaven