Gansu Travel｜Jiayuguan, Listening to the Great Wall Stories on the Gobi Desert

From Jiuquan to Jiayuguan, standing atop the Jiayuguan Pass tower and looking far into the distance: on one side, the snow line of the Qilian Mountains wraps like a silver belt, and on the other side lies the boundless Gobi Desert. The biting wind passes through the city tower, as if bringing the sound of ancient caravan camel bells and the bugles of the city guards. This pass, the westernmost point of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall, still retains its grandeur and solemnity.
🌟Jiayuguan Pass Tower: The Stronghold of the World's First Mighty Pass
At the entrance of Jiayuguan, the Black Mountain stone carvings outline the historical context of Jiayuguan with bold lines, while the Jiayuguan Great Wall Museum quietly narrates the millennia-old story of the Great Wall. This is China’s first museum dedicated to the history and culture of the Great Wall.
Passing through the auxiliary buildings, the fortress finally appears before you. It consists of multiple defensive structures including the inner city, outer city, corral wall, barbican, and moat. With triple city walls and multiple defense lines, the inner city, outer moat, it is as solid as a fortress.
Entering the inner city through the East Gate "Guanghua Gate," climb the city wall along the horse path. Inside the fortress are the Guerrilla General’s Mansion, well pavilion, Wenchang Pavilion, and outside the East Gate, the Guan Di Temple, memorial archway, and opera stage—all telling stories of the lives of the ancient city guards.
Looking far from the height, the city wall floats like a swimming dragon in the Gobi sand sea, sometimes broken, sometimes continuous, appearing and disappearing. No wonder Lin Zexu, when exiled to Xinjiang and passing here, wrote a poem praising: “The stern pass stands a hundred feet high at the western border, thousands of miles of soldiers halt their horses. The flying pavilion connects to the straight Qin trees afar, the winding walls press low against the clouds over Long.”
🌟Jiayuguan City Museum: The Modern Transformation of the Gobi Pearl
Leaving the ancient fortress, we arrive at the Jiayuguan City Museum. This museum, converted from a formerly idle science and technology hall, has a total investment of 29.5 million yuan and a building area of 11,000 square meters, forming a sharp contrast with the ancient fortress.
The museum’s exhibition uses a reverse chronological approach, divided into "Three Chapters and Four Halls"—the Glorious Chapter, the Historical Chapter, and the Prospective Chapter, with the foyer, exhibition hall, announcement hall, and temporary exhibition hall.
The "Gobi Pearl—Jiayuguan City Construction Achievements Exhibition" left a deep impression on me. It comprehensively showcases Jiayuguan’s development through five aspects: "Gobi Pearl," "Desert Oasis," "Economic Takeoff," "Frontier Customs," and "Prosperous Era."
Jiayuguan is "named after the pass, established because of the enterprise"—the "pass" refers to Jiayuguan, and the "enterprise" is the Jiugang Group. This modern industrial city provides high-quality steel for many major national projects, including the National Stadium, the Bird’s Nest.
🌟The First Pier of the World: The Western Starting Point of the Great Wall
Following the sunset, we head to the First Pier of the Great Wall, also known as the "World’s First Pier" or "Taolai River Pier." It is the westernmost pier tower of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall, located 7.5 kilometers north of the fortress, standing on a nearly 56-meter-high cliff by the Taolai River.
This pier tower was supervised and built by Suzhou Military Defense Commander Li Han in the 18th year of the Jiajing reign (1539). Although now it appears as a remaining earth pier about 10 meters high, it was an important part of the Ming Great Wall defense system.
The underground Great Wall Museum in the scenic area is not to be missed. It not only provides detailed information about the history of the First Pier but also features a glass viewing platform facing the Taolai River Valley, offering unique scenery.
Standing on the cliff edge of the Taolai River Valley, you see the river rushing through the gorge. Looking southward, the Qilian peaks remain snow-white year-round, set against the blue sky. Such magnificent scenery inspired the famous Great Wall expert Luo Zhewen to compose: “Jiayuguan, majestic and perilous beyond compare, the piers and forts gaze at each other from afar, the Great Wall stretches through passes and mountains, even the ape’s arms find it hard to climb.”
At the true beginning of the Great Wall, I think of the Old Dragon’s Head at Shanhaiguan on the eastern end. The First Pier and the Old Dragon’s Head on the Bohai coast of Hebei echo each other, together forming the head and tail of the Chinese Great Wall “dragon.” This city, located at a key point on the Silk Road, was once a hub for East-West cultural exchange and now stands proudly in the Gobi Desert with a new look. From a Ming Dynasty border defense town to a modern steel city, Jiayuguan’s story is an epic of the Chinese people adapting to and transforming nature. The Gobi winds still blow, but today’s winds carry not only echoes of history but also calls for the future.

Post by AMF. Gus 2628 | Oct 20, 2025