Jiayuguan: The Epic Corridor of the "Greatest Pass Under Heaven"

At the narrowest choke point of the Hexi Corridor, Jiayuguan stands like a colossal bronze lock, securing a millennium of Silk Road history. As the western terminus of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall (construction began in 1372 and spanned 168 years), it remains China’s most intact ancient military defense system. The inscribed plaque declaring "First and Greatest Pass Under Heaven" hangs solemnly over the Guanghua Gate Tower—a silent witness to camel caravans of merchants, diplomatic envoys bearing imperial insignia, and the beacon fires of garrison soldiers.

The layout of the triple citadel is a textbook of defence in the Cold War era: the outer citadel's archery towers and trenches form the first line of death, the urn city's ‘catching a turtle in a jar’ design gives the enemy no place to hide, and the inner citadel's 17-metre-high walls can accommodate up to three chariots. The hidden sound transmission holes in the city wall and the remains of the ice road transporting stones on the horse road still tell of the wisdom of the ancient craftsmen. Standing in the Zuoyuan Gate of the battlements, the Qilian Mountains and the black mountain of the snowy peaks of the rocky cliffs as a natural barrier, and the artificial city wall to form a ‘mountains and rivers together to protect’ the magnificent pattern.

The guerrilla general's mansion in the Guan Cheng displays the physical objects of the garrison life in the Ming Dynasty: the rusty ‘Jiayuguan’ bronze cannon, the mottled ink on the garrison's letters, and the air-dried grain in the granary, which spell out the memories of the border of the ‘general's grey hair, and the tears of the conscripts’. In the Great Wall Museum, masonry specimens from the Warring States period to the Ming Dynasty allow visitors to touch the complete chronology of China's Great Wall civilisation.

Ming dynasty military fort, the western end of the Great Wall

"First and Greatest Pass in  the  world" — Jiayuguan

Photo by Shi Yonghong

It is the starting point of the western end of the Great Wall of China during the Ming Dynasty, and the best preserved ancient military defence system. The three-fold city defence (outer city, urn city and inner city) shows the peak defence wisdom of the Cold Weapon Era, and the city towers such as Guanghua Gate and Zuoyuan Gate are magnificent, and the architectural wonders such as ‘hitting the stone yanming’ are amazing.

The first domestic in situ live Great Wall cultural immersion night tour light theatre ‘The World Jiayuguan’

The First Pier of the Great Wall

The westernmost pier of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall stands on the cliffs of the Chirai River gorge, forming a complete defence system with the Guan Cheng and the Hanging Wall. The glass viewing platform overlooks the 56-metre-deep rapids of the canyon.

Hanging Great Wall

This section of the Great Wall is built on the steep rock face of Montenegro, named after the shape of the wall hanging upside down from the sky. 750 steps lead to the enemy tower at the top of the hill, with a panoramic view of the snow-capped mountains, the Gobi and the modern steel city.

Donghu Ecotourism Scenic Spot

Ten thousand acres of ecological lake area rising in the Gobi, the dolphin meteorological tower can overlook the city 360 °. Musical fountains, water entertainment and Qilian snow peaks.

Zixuan Wine Estate

The largest single wine cellar in Asia, storing 20,000 oak barrels. You can experience wine tasting, DIY bottling, and learn about the history of grape growing in the Hexi Corridor.

Fangte Adventure World

A Silk Road-themed mega park where cutting-edge technology meets cultural heritage through signature attractions like:

"Dunhuang Treasures": A high-tech journey through the Mogao Caves' artistic wonders

"Silk Road Meteors": An immersive ride following ancient caravan routes under starry skies

Jiayuguan: Grilled Meat Kingdom on the Frontier

Grilled Skewers

Features: Lamb and beef skewers grilled over fruit wood charcoal, sprinkled with salt, cumin, and chili—crispy outside, tender inside, a must-try at Jiayuguan night markets.