Jiayuguan Fortress

Opening Hours: 8:30-20:00(5.1-10.31) / 8:30-18:00(11.1-4.30)

Tickets: Peak Season (5.1-10.31) : ￥110 / Off Season (11.1-4.30) : ￥90

Jiayuguan Pass, also known as Jiayuguan Fortress, holds a significant place in the history and architecture of the Great Wall of China. Positioned as the first pass at the western end of the Great Wall, it occupies a strategic location nestled between the Wenshu and Heishan Mountains, at the base of Jiayuguan Hill in the Qilian Mountain range. Alongside Juyongguan and Shanhaiguan, Jiayuguan Pass stands as one of the primary gateways along the Great Wall.

Measuring 733 meters in length and encompassing an area of approximately 33,500 square meters, Jiayuguan Pass features two gates—one on the eastern side and the other on the western side—each adorned with a distinctive building. The architectural layout includes three defensive layers: an inner city, an outer city, and a protective moat.

Jiayuguan Pass is renowned as “the Impregnable Pass under Heaven,” a testament to its formidable fortifications and strategic significance. Among the thousands of passes that once punctuated the Great Wall, Jiayuguan Pass stands out as the most magnificent and well-preserved. Its construction dates back to the early Ming dynasty, around 1372, marking its establishment on the farthest reaches of China’s western frontier.