Why did the ancients attack Guanzhong from Hangu Pass or Tongguan instead of crossing the Yellow River from Shanxi?

The ancients mainly attacked Guanzhong through Hangu Pass or Tongguan instead of crossing the Yellow River, mainly due to geographical reasons. Passing through Hangu Pass is a plain, so taking Hangu Pass or Tongguan means that Guanzhong can be captured quickly. Crossing the Yellow River was not the best choice for the military conditions at that time. On the one hand, it was easy to be annihilated. On the other hand, most of the ancient armies were not adapted to water warfare, and the ships equipped had limited capabilities to cope with the waters.

In ancient times, our Yellow River was wide and fast. It was very dangerous to cross the Yellow River with a big boat, and the load of small boats was not suitable for war and transporting supplies. If you cross the Yellow River and enter Guanzhong, you need to know the good weather conditions at that time to avoid heavy rain or other conditions during the journey. If the boat capsizes, the morale of the troops will be affected, and the strength of the troops will be lost. In ancient times, such a ship was steered by people on the one hand and sailed by the wind on the other. It required an experienced captain to take the helm. When the military went on an expedition, they didn’t know much about the conditions in the various rivers of the Yellow River. They didn’t know where there were undercurrents and where they were prone to stranding. There are too many uncertainties such as where the rapids will appear. The local captain who knows the situation is unwilling to participate in the war. After all, his life is in danger at any time.

Even if someone can eventually take the helm, we still need to pay attention to the wind direction and strength in order to make it through smoothly.

After these conditions are met, it is the conditions of the ship itself. The ships at that time were mostly wooden structures and were very easy to catch fire. If the enemy threw fireballs at the hull of the ship while traveling in the middle of the Yellow River, the possibility of survival of the people on the ship would be very small. , so that the enemy will defeat the incoming attacker with basically no effort.

So if ancient people chose to cross the Yellow River to enter Guanzhong, there were many limiting factors. Most chose to attack Hangu Pass or Tongguan Pass.