Jiayuguan Pass of China Great Wall

Jiayuguan Pass was initially built in 1372 during the Ming Dynasty, and has a history of more than 600 years. It is located 6 kilometers southwest of Jiayuguan City in Gansu Province. The pass lies at the narrowest point of the western section of the Hexi Corridor between two hills at the foot of Jiayuguan hill. It is the first pass at the west end of the Great Wall of China , one of the greatest ancient forts on the Silk Road. So it is praised as "The First and Greatest Pass under the Heaven". It was the western end of the Great Wall and for the Chinese the last outpost of civilization, beyond which lay barbarian country. The Fort is also known as “Impregnable Defile under the Heaven” and has been crowned as the best in China due to its bleak location. The pass is trapezoid-shaped with a perimeter of 733 meters and with an area of more than 33,500 square meters. There are two gates on the east and west sides of the pass. There is a tower on the top of each gate. The Chinese inscription of "Jiayuguan Pass" is on the west gate tower. The south and north sides of the pass are connected to the Great Wall. Turret was built on each corner of the pass. Wide roads leading to the top of the pass on the north side inside the two gates. A legend says that when Jiayuguan Pass was to be built, the designer calculated that it would need 99,999 bricks to build the Jiayuguan Pass. When the project was finished, only one brick was left which was placed on the pass as a symbol of commemoration. The brick was kept there and never moved. It can still be found on the tower of the Jiayuguan Pass today. Jiayuguan Pass is the most intact ancient military building preserved from all the passes on the Great Wall. It will be a pity if you miss it when come to China.

Juyan Pass of Great Wall

Juyan Pass is the site of the beacon towers and walls of the frontier fortress under Ju Yan and Jian Shui of the Zhangye prefecture during the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD). The frontier fortress stretches from the northeast to the southwest, with a total length of about 250 kilometers. Built in 102BC, it was abandoned in the late Eastern Han (25-220). The frontier fortress acted as a strategic pathway to the West and a barrier along the Gansu Corridor. It also played an important role in severing the connection between the Huns and the Qiangs, and held a special position in the Han strategy towards the Huns.

The fourth beacon tower of Jiaqu is very large; it has a remnant 3.4 meters high. The cone-shaped tower is made of tampered earth on an eight-meter-long base on each side. In the southwest corner of the beacon tower is a kitchen range with a chimney where smoke was released into the sky in emergencies.

The Jianshui Jinguan Site is built on a mountain pass and contains a large number of cultural relics, such as knives, swords and arrowheads; fragments of clothing made of silk, gunny, hide and leather; and torches used for igniting the beacon fire. These findings reflect the military activities of the period.

Han slips found at the site provide a wide range of records that can be applied to many fields, including politics, military affairs, the economy, culture, science and technology, law, philosophy, religion and different ethnic groups. They not only recorded military activities in the Juyan area, but also kept official documents from the mid-Western Han to early Eastern Han periods, providing important materials for the study of Han history and culture.

Yang Guan Pass of Great Wall

Located in Nanhu Village, about  70kilometerw southwest to Dunhuang City, Yangguan Pass is one of the two important western passes (the other one is Yumenguan Pass) of Great Wall in Western Han Dynasty (206BC -24AD). The Emperor Wu ordered to build it in the purpose of consolidating the frontier defense as well as developing the remote western region.
In Chinese, Yang means the south. Because it is lying to the south of Yumenguan Pass, people gave its name - Yangguan Pass. Together with Yumenguan Pass, it has also witnessed the prosperity of Silk Road in the past times. In Tang Dynasty (618 - 907), it welcomed the glorious return of Xuan Zang, a great monk who pilgrimaged to the west in search of Buddhist scriptures. Many Chinese get to know this important pass mainly from the poem Farewell to Yuaner to Take Office in Anxi, written by Wang Wei, a famous poet in Tang Dynasty. From the last two lines "Oh, my friend, I sincerely entreat you to have another cup of wine; you will see no more friends west out of the Yangguan Pass.", we can see the Yanguan Pass has always been the place of desolation and sadness since ancient times. In the Song (960 - 1279) and Ming (1368 - 1644) Dynasty, because of the decline of the Silk Road, the Pass was generally forgotten by people.
For years and years, the flowing dunes have eroded this Great Wall pass into a broken beacon tower, standing alone in the boundless desert. It measures 15.4 feet high and 8.7 yards wide. Around the relic, you cannot even see the dismantled walls, because they were all eroded by the wind and buried under earth. South to the pass, there is a "Curio Beach". It is a small valley where you can find lots of dynasties' tiles, coins, weapons, and decorations.
Today's Yangguan Pass is not only a historic place of recalling the remote past, but also a hometown of tasty grapes. Come here, appreciate the beauty of vicissitudes of the Great Wall, enjoy the natural view combined by oasis, desert and snow peaks, and taste the juicy fruits.

Yumen Pass of Great Wall

Originally known as Small Square City, the Great Wall Yumenguan Pass, together with Yangguan Pass, is one of the two important passes on the western frontier of the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220) lands. It is located 56 miles northwest to Dunhuang City, Gansu Province, at the western end of Hexi Corridor. In ancient times, it was the crucial gateway from central China to the western regions. 

In the early Han Dynasty, the Huns ceaselessly invaded the Han's area. At first, the weak Han rulers attempted to marry the daughters of imperial families to the Huns' leaders, in hope of gaining temporary peace. When Emperor Wu rose to power, he immediately gave up this cowardly policy by launching fierce counterattacks on a large scale. Finally, the Hun's troops were driven back. In order to strengthen the stability of the western frontier, this wise emperor ordered Yumenguan Pass and Yangguan Pass to be set up along the Hexi Corridor. Henceforth, these two passes of Great Wall, like two royal soldiers, honorably began to guard the western gate for their motherland. 

In the past, the beautiful jade was transported to the inner China through this pass via the Silk Road, which gave the pass its name, Yumenguan, or "Jade-Gate Pass" in English. At that time, Yumenguan Pass served mainly as a post station for businessmen, military generals and ambassadors. It has witnessed the prosperity of business transactions along the Silk Road. The silk peculiar to inner China was transported to the western region in an endless stream. Cultural aspects of western China such as music and religion were introduced to central China at the same time. It is said that the grapes, pomegranates and walnuts now growing in central China were originally from the western area. 

Two thousand years later, the light ringing sound of busy camel trains has disappeared. The cry of sellers in the markets is completely gone. Yumenguan Pass of Great Wall has lost its historic function. It is only a rectangular castle standing in the Gobi desert. It covers an area of over 232 square miles, measuring 27 yards long, 29 yards wide and 32 feet high. The pass was built of rammed yellow earth and has two gates - the west gate and the north gate. There is a walkway measuring 1.4 yards wide on the top. Nuqiang (a jagged parapet on the wall) was set there too. In the southeast corner lies the "Ma Dao" (Horse Ramp), by which people and horses could gain access to the top of the wall. 

Climbing to the top of the pass, you can see the relics of the Great Wall and beacon towers scattered sparsely in the desert, creating an atmosphere of recalling the past.

The Overhanging Great Wall

Located seven miles from Jiayuguan City in Gansu Province and four miles northwest of the pass city of Jiayuguan Pass, the Overhanging Great Wall is an important part of the defensive work of Jiayuguan Pass. It was built in the year 1539 during the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644) in order to strengthen the defensive capability of the Jiayuguan area.

Built on the eastern slope of Mt. Heishan (Black Mountain) the Great Wall isnot visible to anyone looking from west to east. Enemies thought they could enterinner China from here, the Heishan Canyon, as long as they rounded the Jiayuguan Pass. However, they were totally mistaken. After they went over the mountainwith great difficulty, they found a very firm Great Wall in their path that was impossible to cross. Therefore, this place has always been considered a natural barrier.

Viewed from a distance, the Great Wall appears very like a dragon overhanging the slope, hence the name. The wall was built by using local gravel and yellow earth, layer upon layer, and consists of the main path, battlements and threeobservation posts. Originally, it measured 0.9 miles long. However, due to natural disasters and human destruction, only 820 yards of the wall remains, with 253 yards climbing onto the north slope of Heishan Mountain, which is 492-feet high and tilted 45 degrees. Its imposing appearance and manner are very much like those of Badaling Great Wall in Beijing, so it is reputed as 'the Western Badaling Great Wall'.

Along the steps of the Overhanging Great Wall, you can start from the foot of Mt. Heishan to reach the top of the mountain. The steps are so steep that it's not easy for weaker people to reach the summit. Standing at the top of the walland scanning widely, you will see the boundless desert extending to faraway places, with the rare oasis dropped in. What a desolate and lonely view!

Dunhuang Great Wall of Han Dynasty

When talking about the Great Wall, people will immediately think you are referring to the wall in Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644). Actually, north to the Ming's Great Wall in Hexi Corridor, lies a wall built in Han Dynasty (206BC - 220), which is more than 1,000 years earlier than the Ming's wall.The Great Wall ends at the West Lake of Dunhuang, Gansu Province, over 311 miles west to Jiayuguan Pass. It was built by Han Wudi as a defense wall against Western Region. It is considered one of the oldest sections of Great Wall.

In history, the Han Dynasty built many walls to consolidate the safety of the frontier region as well as exploring ways to do business with western region. Instead of piling up stones or bricks layer upon layer like other dynasties' walls, Materials used for building the walls are: earth, clay, gravel, red and poplar. Beacon towers were dotted on every 5 km in order protect against the enemies. On average, every layer measures 12 to 15 centimeters (4.7 to 5.9 inches). The present remains of the wall measure from 1.6 feet tall to over 6.6 feet tall. It was built much earlier compared with other great walls in China. It has a history of more than 2000 years old. Since it has long history, most sections of the great wall are completely gone due to erosion. The remaining still reflects the traces of the original great wall.

Many centuries later, the only remains of Dunhuang Great Wall of Han Dynasty are a few broken sections and several towers distorted beyond recognition standing in the lonely desert. It is like an aged man watching the surrounding changes calmly after experiencing a lot. Listen carefully as he tells us that this place of desolation was once a fierce battlefield which was soaked by soldiers' blood. The path was stepped to and fro by the busy Persian and Han's business men as well as their camels carrying silk, china, carpet and food.

Dunhuang Great Wall of Han Dynasty is dwindling day by day because of natural disasters and human destruction. If we don't save it right now, it will finally disappear together with its glorious historical memories. The rescue work is very urgent. The temperature difference during the day and night is big therefore it is recommended to bring enough warm clothes. Climate is dried therefore recommended to bring enough drinking water and sunglass.

Water Pass Great Wall of Beijing China

Water Pass Great Wall Located in Yanqing County in Beijing, 1.24 miles away from the Badaling Great Wall, if you like to climb the Great Wall especially the steep and dangerous parts, this Water Pass will be the best for you. It was built in the Ming Dynasty and it is the best preserved part of the Badaling Section of Great Wall.
The purpose of this Great Wall section is to use the river water as the barrier to keep outside enemies, thus a water pass has been formed. This kind of defense architecture is rare in ancient battlefield. Besides climbing the wall, you can also visit the Genghis Khan Palace, the Stone Buddha Temple, Luotuo Peak (Camel Peak) and the Great Wall Stele Forest nearby.
Located in the middle of the famous Guangou Scenic Area, Shuiguan Great Wall is surrounded by many beautiful sights. Within 500 meters (547 yards) round, visitors can find the scenic spots like Tanqin Gorge, Golden Fish Pool and Stone Buddha Temple.
Tanqin Gorge: Walk to the riverside of the northern mouth of Tanqin Gorge Tunnel, visitors can find a steep cliff on which it is inscribed "Tanqin Gorge, Five Precious Heads", which reminds you of already reaching the former famous scenic sight – Tanqin Gorge (Playing the Piano Gorge).
Transportation to the Water Pass of Great Wall: You can take bus route no. 919 at Deshengmen Gate as far as Water Pass.