Yangguan Pass is at 70 kilometers southwest of Dunhuang. Yangguan was named for its location south of the Yumen Pass. It was a gateway to the Western Region and an important pass on the Silk Road. The famed poet of Tang Dynasty, wangwei has made the site an everlasting attraction. When He set off one of his best friends here, Wang wrote:

In the central town Weicheng, it rains lightly in the morning. All the houses and the willows look fresh after the rain. I suggest you have another cup of wine, as soon as you go out of the Yangguan Pass, there are no friends."