Yokan - Yokan

Japanese: 陽関 - ようかん

Located about 70km southwest of the city of Dunhuang, Gansu Province, China, this is the remains of an ancient Silk Road checkpoint established by Emperor Wu. It is believed to have been built around 107 BC, and has long been said to have been an important point on the southern route from Dunhuang to the Western Regions via the Silk Road. ◇ Wang Wei, a poet of the Tang Dynasty, is famous for his poem "I invite you to drink another cup of wine, for when we leave Yangguan in the west, you will be dead." The ancient Yangguan was connected to Yumenguan, 70km away, and a beacon tower was placed approximately every 5km along the way. Among them, the one on the north side, known as the "Ears and Eyes of Yangguan," is the largest and well preserved. It was an oasis 3,000 to 4,000 years ago, but weathering has progressed, and it is surrounded by sand dunes on three sides, and is now mostly buried in sand.

Source: Kodansha World Tourist Attractions Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

中国の甘粛(かんしゅく)省敦煌(とんこう)（トゥンホワン）市街の南西約70kmにある、武帝によって設置された古代シルクロードの関所跡。建設は紀元前107年ごろとされ、古くから敦煌からシルクロードを経て西域へ通じる南路の重要ポイントだったといわれる。◇唐代の詩人、王維の詠んだ「君に勧む更に尽くせ一杯の酒、西の方陽関を出ずれば故人なからん」という詩は有名である。古代の陽関は70km離れた玉門関とつながり、その間、ほぼ5kmごとにのろし台が置かれていた。なかでも北側にある「陽関の耳目」と呼ばれるものが最も大きく、保存状態もいい。3000～4000年前はオアシスだったが風化が進み、三面を砂丘に囲まれて、現在はほとんどが砂に埋もれている。

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