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Which Great Wall passes were called the Three Outer Passes?
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Great Wall of China
Great Wall of China, near Beijing.
The Three Outer Passes of the Great Wall of China are the Yanmen, Ningwu, and Piantou passes.1
These passes were located farther west than the Three Inner Passes (Juyong, Daoma, and Zijing) and were of critical importance for protecting the Ming dynasty capital, Beijing. Both the Inner and Outer passes were heavily garrisoned to defend against potential invasions.1