The Jiayuguan Pass, known as the "Strategic pass Under the Heaven", is at the western end of the Great Wall. The Jiayuguan Pass was one of great strategic importance. The existing Jiayuguan Pass walls were built in the time of Ming Dynasty.
The inner wall is 10.7 meters high and encloses a city section of about 25,000 square meters. It has two gates, namely the Rouyuan Gate in the west and the Guanghua Gate in the east (Rouyuan means appeasement and Guanghua means brilliance in Chinese). Both of the two gates have defensive enclosure structures.
On the walls there are 14 pavilions. Inside the wall, there are also many spots of interest, such as the General's Mansion, the Well Pavilion, and Wenchang Pavilion. Outside the eastern gate, there is a Guanyu's Temple (in honor of General Guanyu who lived in the period of Three Kingdoms), a memorial archway, and an opera tower. The overall layout of the section in the inner wall is integrated and well-organized.
The Jiayuguan Pass was constructed as far back as 1372. Legend has it that the official charged with overseeing the building of the pass demanded that the foremen not squander a single brick. The builders were for the most part successful, and the project was finished with just one brick surplus to requirements. It was actually left at the site and has become famous among the tourists visiting the area.
The Jiayuguan Pass is constructed in three concentric layers: the central area is made up of an inner city, containing the largest of the pass' buildings; an outer city section, surrounded by a large wall dotted with watchtowers, turrets, and high-terrace pavilions; and finally, for purposes of defense, a moat. All of these features combined to make it a daunting prospect for any would-be attackers.
Encompassing an area of 25,000 square meters (six acres), the inner city is trapezoid-shaped. It is enclosed by the city wall which runs for 640 meters (2,100 feet) and reaches a height of up to 11 meters (36 feet). The inner city has both east and west gates, known as the Guanghua and Rouyuan respectively. Each of the city gates is also protected by its own smaller guard tower. The tower defending the west gate is known as Luo City. From it hangs a plaque with characters that read: "The Greatest Pass under Heaven".
In the inner city are some tourist spots including Youji Jiangjun (an official title)'s Mansion, Wenchang Hall and Jing Pavilion. Found outside the fort's east gate are the Guandi Temple, a series of grand archways and a theater tower. On the west side stands a grand stele housed in a pavilion. The four Chinese characters found etched on its surface - 'Tian', 'Xia', 'Xiong' and 'Guan' - were written by Li Tingchen, a Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) commander.
Admission Fee:
CNY 101 (from May 1 to Oct. 31) ;
CNY 61 (from Nov.1 to Apr. 30)
(including admission to the Jiayuguan Pass, other nearby cultural relic sites, the Great Wall Museum and a postcard)
Opening Hours:
8:30-20:00 (during summer and autumn);
8:30-18:00 (during winter and spring)
There are also a number of other historical sites to be found in the Jiayuguan Pass region. These include the Overhanging Great Wall in the north and the First Frusta in the south.