Jiayuguan,
the Wall's end in the desert

The fort and the pass

Jiayuguan is the clearest place in China to understand how the Great Wall actually worked. It was the westernmost pass of the Ming Great Wall, built in 1372, and the fort is complete and restored: a walled town of gates, courtyards and towers where travellers had to pass through and be checked. Ask the guide to walk you through the layers of defence.

• The main fort, with its gates, courtyards and towers.
• The garrison buildings inside the walls.
• Views over the Gobi from the top of the wall.
• The story of the pass as the gateway to the west.

Which sights to add

Two satellite sites make the day. The Overhanging Great Wall is a restored stretch that climbs a steep ridge north of the fort, short but worth the steps for the view. The First Pier of the Great Wall is the southern point where the wall ran down to the desert and ended; it is a spare, lonely spot on open gravel. Both need a short drive.

• Overhanging Great Wall: short, steep and restored.
• First Pier: where the wall met the desert and stopped.
• Both need a short drive from the main fort.
• Half a day covers the fort plus one of the two extras.

Desert setting and light

The landscape is half the reason to come. Jiayuguan sits on bare Gobi gravel, and the snow-capped Qilian Mountains rise behind it, so the light changes the whole scene through the day. The late afternoon is the best window: the desert warms in colour and the mountains hold their snow against a deep sky.