Héjīn

Hejin lies near the Yellow River's passage through the narrow Dragon Gate, where steep banks frame an important crossing between Shanxi and Shaanxi. The ferry at Yumenkou, northwest of the county town, was known in earlier records as Dragon Gate Pass. Boats could cross the confined channel, and its position made it a strategic point as well as a route for travellers. The Ming established a patrol office at the ferry, an arrangement continued by the Qing.