Jiayuguan Great Wall in Jiayuguan City

Among the passes on the Great Wall, Jiayuguan is the most intact surviving ancient military building. The pass is also known by the name the "First and Greatest Pass Under Heaven" (天下第一雄关)
English Name: Jiayuguan Great Wall in Jiayuguan City
Chinese Name: 嘉峪关城
Opening Hours: 8:30 am–8:00 pm (summer and autumn), 8:30 am–6:00 pm (winter and spring)
Recommended Visiting Hours: 2 or 3 hours
Ticket Price: 100 RMB for all 3 sites.
Best Season: May-October
Location: Jiayuguan City, Gansu Province, Northwestern China

 

More Picture

Jiayuguan Great Wall

Jiayu Pass or Jiayuguan (simplified Chinese: 嘉峪关; traditional Chinese: 嘉峪關; pinyin: Jiāyù Guān) is the first frontier fortress at the west end of the Ming dynasty Great Wall, near the city of Jiayuguan in Gansu province. Along with Juyong Pass and Shanhai Pass, it is one of the main passes of the Great Wall.

Why is Jiayuguan Great Wall So Special

Among the passes on the Great Wall, Jiayuguan is the most intact surviving ancient military building. The pass is also known by the name the “First and Greatest Pass Under Heaven” (天下第一雄关), which is not to be confused with the “First Pass Under Heaven” (天下第一关), a name for Shanhaiguan at the east end of the Great Wall near Qinhuangdao, Hebei.

The pass was a key waypoint of the ancient Silk Road.

Introduction of Jiayuguan Great Wall

Location

The pass is located at the narrowest point of the western section of the Hexi Corridor, 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) southwest of the city of Jiayuguan in Gansu. The structure lies between two hills, one of which is called Jiayuguan Pass. It was built near an oasis that was then on the extreme western edge of China.

Description

The pass is trapezoid-shaped with a perimeter of 733 metres (2,405 ft) and an area of more than 33,500 square metres (361,000 sq ft). The length of the city wall is 733 metres (2,405 ft) and the height is 11 metres (36 ft).

There are two gates: one on the east side of the pass and the other on the west side. On each gate there is a building. An inscription of “Jiayuguan” in Chinese is written on a tablet at the building at the west gate. The south and north sides of the pass are connected to the Great Wall. There is a turret on each corner of the pass. On the north side, inside the two gates, there are wide roads leading to the top of the pass.

Covering an area of 33,529 square meters (40,100 square yards), Jiayuguan Pass of Great Wall has a complex and integrated defensive system. Jiayuguan consisted of three defense lines: an inner city, an outer city, and a moat.

Legend and history

A fabulous legend recounts the meticulous planning involved in the construction of the pass. According to legend, when Jiayuguan was being planned, the official in charge asked the designer to estimate the exact number of bricks required and the designer gave him a number (99,999). The official questioned his judgment, asking him if that would be enough, so the designer added one brick. When Jiayuguan was finished, there was one brick left over, which was placed loose on one of the gates where it remains today.

The structure was built during the early Ming dynasty, sometime around the year 1372. The fortress there was greatly strengthened due to fear of an invasion by Timur, but Timur died of old age while leading an army toward China.

Best Time to Visit Jiayuguan Great Wall

May-October is generally the best time to visit Jiayuguan when the weather is sunny and warm.

Avoid visiting in the winter time when the weather is brutally cold and often below freezing. We lucked out with our visit at the end of March/beginning of April but a week or so after leaving they got snow and the temperatures plummeted! Head to the region in the summer or early fall for more guaranteed nice weather.

The pass is six kilometers (four miles) west of the city proper. It won’t take much time to get there from the city.

• By bus
  Take bus no.4 or no.6 to the terminal station, and walk to the ticket office. The two bus lines both operate from 7:00 to 20:00 and costs CNY 1.
• By minibus
  If you want to visit the First Fire Tower and the Overhanging Great Wall all together, it is recommended to charter a minibus from the city. It would cost CNY 150~180/per bus.
• Fly to Jiayuguan
  There is a small airport in Jiayuguan with flights routing through Xi’an or Lanzhou before landing in Jiayuguan.

Where to Stay in Jiayuguan

Hotels in Jiayuguan are a bit tricky as a lot of the places there don’t accept foreigners. China has strict laws about how hotels must register foreign visitors. As Gansu Province is a more remote area of China, not many people speak English. In order for hotels in China to accept foreigners, they need to be approved by the Chinese government. A lot of the hotels in this region of China don’t want the hassle of, first, going through this process, and second, having to deal with people they can’t communicate with and whose standards they don’t understand. But you can contact us, we’ll arrange it for you.

Recommended Visiting Route 

• Youji General’s Office – It was the location in the inner city where the generals guarding Jiayu Pass dealt with military affairs. 
• Wenchang Hall – It is a two-story pavilion in front of the inner city. It follows the same design style as the gate towers and is decorated with lattice doors and windows.
• Temple of Guan Yu – Outside the east barbican, it is a place where people pay homage to Guan Yu, an invincible general of the Kingdom of Shu (221 – 263).
• Opera Tower – It is located near the east barbican outside the inner city. In old times, soldiers, local residents and traveling merchants often relaxed by watching operas there.
• Jiayuguan Great Wall Museum – It is at the east gate of the scenic area and looks like a giant white beacon tower. 

Nearby Attraction