Ancient city of Jiayuguan in Gansu Province

Jiayuguan is a prefecture city in Gansu Province, northwest of China. It lies in the Gobi desert, at the middle of Hexi Corridor , 776 kilometers away from Gansu’s provincial capital Lanzhou and 5 - 6 hours away by bus from Dunhuang.

Jiayuguan is seated in the northwest of Gansu Province, with Yumen to its west, the snow-capped Qilian Mountain to its south.It is a relatively small city in west of Gansu, encircled by Jiuquan city and Zhangye city. It is most famous for the nearby Jiayu Pass, the largest and most intact pass of the Great Wall of China.

The city is named after this famous site. Known as the 'mouth of China' because of its position at the end of the Great Wall of China where it guarded the western boundary of Ming Dynasty China. The narrow river passage heading southeast from here is known as the Hexi Corridor and is nicknamed the 'throat of China'.

As the traffic hub of the ancient "Silk Road" and the starting point of the Great Wall in the west,Jiayuguan has been recorded in the ancient Chinese poems, myths, chronicles, generation after generation. It has a history over 630 years. In 1372, during the Ming Dynasty, a fortress was built to protect the last frontier of the Chinese empire. It was completely built up in 1540 and became a small township engaged in local trading, catering to the needs of the military garrisons stationed at the fort.

As an important outpost along the ancient Silk Road, Jiayuguan is the main hub of the Silk Road and the western starting point of the Great Wall since ancient time. Jiayuguan can be connected with both Dunhuang and Zhangye and even Turpan and Urumqi in Xinjiang. Riding a camel, following the route of ancient traders, marching forward on the boundless desert, and encountering countless ancient sites and cuisines.

● What to do and where to go in Jiayuguan

Jiayuguan is the intersection of China's Silk Road culture and the Great Wall culture, known as the "key to the border". Here, you can see the continuous great wall, the magnificent pass city, the exquisite ancient murals, and the magical natural scenery.The city culture is a combination of Great Wall and Silk Road. It boasts many historical relics referring to these two wonders.

The most famous eight spots of Jiayuguan City are Jiayuguan Pass, Jiayuguan International Glide Base, The First Fire Tower of the Great Wall, Overhanging Great Wall, Weijin Tomb, Heishan cliff painting, Great Wall Museum and Qiyi Glacier.

Contrary to conventional understanding, the Great Wall are series of defending walls built on different locations during different dynasties, stretching thousands of miles in northern China. Commonly referred to as the finest example of its kind on earth, the pass is the best preserved of the Great Wall's ancient military fortresses.

In the vast desert west of Jiayuguan City, Gansu, there is a lonely earth mound standing at the edge of a cliff, It is hard to believe that this unremarkable mound was actually one of the most vital beacon towers of the Great Wall, built in the Ming Dynasty. As the westernmost beacon tower, it is called the First Fire Tower of the Great Wall, or the First Pier.

Overhanging Great Wall. about 7km far from the Pass, you can walk from the Pass to the East (1hour) along the road or take taxi. The views from the top are great, and ignoring the town, it gives a feeling of how remote a place this once was.

Wei Jin Tombs. Tombs of town from the Wei and Jin periods with nice paintings inside. Only one tomb is open to the public.

● What to eat in Jiayuguan

Being a northwestern region in China, local cuisine of Jiayuguan is mainly of northern style, that means staple food from wheat and generous amount of meat. Concentration of restaurants and food stands can be found in two areas in the city, Zhengxin Market Street and Tielu Street. In summer, snacks are also available in East Jianshe Road.

● Transport

Jiayuguan city is in a land locked province. It is on the G312 and G30 national highway networks. Lanzhou-Xinjiang railway system and high speed railway system go across this city. The main railway station is Jiayuguan Station. Jiayuguan Airport (JGN) isabout 10km southwest of downtown Jiayuguan. It was first put into use in 1953 and was reopened in 2010 after renovation. Several airliners, such as China Eastern, Sichuan Airlines, operate routes that connects Jiayuguan city with most major cities in China.

● Jiayuguan Climate

Jiayuguan possesses, in meteorological terms, a continental desert climate, with an annual precipitation of only 80 millimeters in summer. It is dry through out the year. The average temperature of Jiayuguan is about 6.7 C (44 F) – 7.7 C (18.1 F) and the lowest temperature is -21 C (-5.8 F) in January while the highest is 34 C (93 F) in July. Average altitude of this region is about 1,500 meters (4,921 feet).