Jiayuguan

Chinese: 嘉峪关
Pinyin: Jiā yù guān
English: Excellent valley pass
Coordinates: 39°48'5"N 98°12'58"E

The Jiayuguan area features the Jiayuguan fortress and many interesting Great Wall features. Jiayuguan represents the western end of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall.

Jiayuguan is located in Gansu province. It can be reached by car or train. A train from Beijing takes about 33 hours. A train from Xi'an takes about 19 hours. You can also fly to Jiayuguan from Xi'an or Lanzhou.

Jiayuguan Fortress

The Jiayuguan fortress was rebuilt in 1987. The fortress has been partially and accurately restored and is in very good condition. The Great Walls at Xuanbi and Shiguanxia to the north of the Jiayuguan pass have been rebuilt. The remaining Great Wall areas around Jiayuguan are in their original condition and are for the most part impressively well preserved. Many areas are weathered and deteriorated, and some have been destroyed.

The Jiayuguan fortress and Great Wall are very interesting to visit.

The Jiayuguan fortress represented the end of the Great Wall along the Silk Road. It's a huge structure with walls of 17 meters (56 feet) in height.

Jiayuguan Fortress

There is a single, loose brick resting on a ledge on the side of one of the inside gate towers, and there are several different explanations for it. A popular legend tells of the chief designer placing an order for the bricks. When his accuracy in calculating the correct number of bricks was questioned, he said he would accept one extra brick only. When the fortress was completed, a single extra brick remained. It was placed where it could be easily seen.

A wall runs southwest from the fortress for a distance of about 6.5 kilometers (4 miles) until it ends at the Taolai river gorge. This wall has several towers along its length. They are offset towards the inside. Several of them are in very good condition. At the edge of the river gorge is a large tower. It is known as the Number One Tower. Erosion has unfortunately caused severe damage to this tower. The Number One tower can be considered the last tower on the Ming Dynasty Great Wall or the first one, depending on which way you're going. But it is the westernmost tower of the Great Wall's main line from the east during the Ming Dynasty.

The number one tower and the adjoining wall

Jiayuguan has one of the best Great Wall museums in all of China. (The other outstanding museums are located at Shanhaiguan in Hebei Province, at the Badaling Great Wall in the Beijing Municipality, and in Dunhuang in Gansu Province.) It is an impressive museum with very interesting and unusual exhibits pertaining to Jiayuguan and to the Great Wall in general. The museum is located near the Jiayuguan fortress.

Location summary: Jiayuguan is about 1551 kilometers (964 miles) west of downtown Beijing. It's about 6.6 kilometers (4.1 miles) from Jiayuguan Fortress to the number one tower along the nearly straight course of the Great Wall.

Driving directions: From Beijing, drive southwest on G030 (G4) for about 57 kilometers (35 miles) from the 5th ring road. Turn right on Langzhuo Expressway and drive west for about 27 kilometers (17 miles). Continue onto C5 and drive southwest for 442 kilometers (275 miles). Continue onto G20 and drive for 495 kilometers (308 miles). At Yanchi, exit onto G2 and drive west for 162 kilometers (101 miles). At Zhongning, turn onto G6 and drive east for 15.5 kilometers (9.6 miles). Turn right onto G2012 and drive west for 64 kilometers (40 miles). At Mengjiawan, turn left on S201 and drive west for 80 kilometers (50 miles). Turn right onto 308 and drive west for 131 kilometers (81 miles). Turn onto G30 at Lijiatai and drive northwest for 498 kilometers (309 miles) to Jiayuguan.

The Jiayuguan fortress and Great Wall are very interesting to visit.

Jiayuguan Fortress

The Jiayuguan fortress (C on map).

Number One Tower

The Number One tower (D on map) is located where the Great Wall begins (or ends) at the Taolai river.

Xuanbi Great Wall

The Xuanbi Great Wall (E on map), commonly known as the Overhanging Great Wall, was rebuilt in 1987.

Shiguanxia Great Wall

The Shiguanxia Great Wall (F on map) was rebuilt in 2002.

A Rail station
B Hotel area
C Jiayuguan fort
D Number one tower
E Xuanbi
F Shiguanxia
Red lines Great Wall

Jiayuguan Great Wall map

Jiayuguan Great Wall map

Jiayuguan Great Wall map

Jiayuguan area Great Wall map

Jiayuguan Great Wall map
A Rail station
B Hotel area
C Jiayuguan fort
D Number one tower
E Xuanbi
F Shiguanxia
Red lines Great Wall

Jiayuguan Fortress

Jiayuguan Fortress

Jiayuguan Fortress

Jiayuguan Fortress

Jiayuguan Fortress

Jiayuguan Fortress

Jiayuguan Fortress

Jiayuguan Fortress

Jiayuguan Fortress

Jiayuguan Fortress

Jiayuguan Fortress

Jiayuguan Fortress

Jiayuguan Fortress

Jiayuguan Fortress

Jiayuguan Great Wall

Jiayuguan Great Wall

Jiayuguan Fortress

Jiayuguan Fortress

Jiayuguan Great Wall

Jiayuguan Great Wall

Jiayuguan Great Wall

Jiayuguan Great Wall

Jiayuguan Great Wall

Jiayuguan Great Wall

Jiayuguan Great Wall

Jiayuguan Great Wall

Number Two Tower at Jiayuguan

Number Two Tower at Jiayuguan

Number Two Tower at Jiayuguan

Number One Tower at Jiayuguan

Number One Tower at Jiayuguan

Number One Tower at Jiayuguan

Number 1 Tower and recently constructed breakwater below

Number One Tower at Jiayuguan

Number One Tower at Jiayuguan

Jiayuguan Great Wall between tower No. 1 and Jiayuguan Fortress, 39°45'47.97"N 98°12'20.60"E