Finished my Zhangye tour, June 5, 2013 in the evening I took train K175 to Jiayuguan, and arrived in Jiayuguan at 10 o’clock in the next day evening. On the second day I started my Jiayuguan trip, and in the morning I had the opportunity to have a good look at the rise.
We took the public bus to the Jiayuguan Pass. The terminal point of bus no.4 is the Jiayuguan Pass. In the city tourists can also take bus no.6 to Jiayuguan Pass. What was pity that until now it was still under reparation, so the scenery was not very beautiful.
There were lots of people visiting to Jiayuguan Pass on the same day so it was quite a mess Jiayuguan was the beginning of Ming dynasty Great Wall in the west, and it was built in Ming dynasty fifth years during Hongwu period (AD 1372), after 168 years of construction, it became the most spectacular pass along the Great Wall.
♦ Attractions
► The Martial Barrier under All Heaven
A tablet near the western end of the Wall announces the approach of “The Martial Barrier under All Heaven”—the Great Wall. During Qing dynasty Jiaqing period fourteen years (1809) the 'town company commanders Li Tingchen inspected Jiayuguan defense and saw here was the Qilian mountains in the south and Black Mountain in the north, which were grand, so he wrote " The Martial Barrier under All Heaven".
► Guandi Temple
It was adjourned to the present address from inner city in the late Ming dynasty. There was a main hall in the temple and two side halls, and another knife room, lobby, and stable. The total area of 720 square meters.
► Guanghua Building
Built in the first year of Zhengde period in Ming dynasty (1506), Guanghua building was a three layer eaves Xieshan-type structure building of 17 meters high. The first layer was the post and panel structure, the second and third floor is wood structure jointed by mortise and tenon occlusion. Although it has experienced nearly five hundred years of ups and downs, earthquake and other natural disasters, but it still stood tall on the Jiayuguan pass, all showed the superb and subtle ancient Chinese architectural art.
► The First Beacon Tower of the Great Wall, also known as Taolai River Beacon Tower, was constructed in 1539 under the supervision of the official of Suzhou rectifying armed force, Lihan. It is the first beacon tower of the Great Wall and also the western starting point of the Ming Great Wall, as one of the important part of the Jiayuguan Great Wall defense system. It is about 7.5 km away from the Jiayuguan Fortress. The Beacon Tower standing at the summit of the 80 meters deep valley, which one may well say it is the most dangerous beacon tower of the world.
► Overhanging Great Wall is the northern extending part of Jiayuguan Pass. As the section of Shuzhou Guanxi Great Wall, it is an important part of the Jiayuguan ancient military defense system. Located 11 km away from Jiayuguan City and 6.5 km to the northwest of Jiayuguan Fortree, the Overhanging Great Wall was built in 1539 for enhancing the defense system of Jiayuguan Pass.
After visiting Overhanging Great Wall, we were driven back to the city. Since Jiayuguan was beautiful, we would like to stroll in the Jiayuguan city.
♦ About Public Bus in Jiayuguan
There are 10 buses in the Jiayuguan City, and bus no.4 and no.6 can reach Jiayuguan Pass, and there are still buses at 10 o’clock in the evening. Bus no.3 is going to Train Station.
♦ About Eating
Bus no.3 can reach “Sunshing Market”. Here is a food street where you can find many foods to eat. And if you want to eat fast food, you can take bus no.3 to “Yidumoer (易都摩尔)” where there are Dicos and Yonghe King.
♦ Other attractions in Jiayuguan
Qiyi Glacier, I was thinking of visiting Qiyi Glacier, but considering it will takes a long time to Qiyi Glacier by bus and needs to walk for a long time, what’s important I didn’t bring thick clothes so I just give up going there.
Weijin Tomb Murals, I felt there was no need to visit Weijin Tomb Murals because there were bricks exhibitions in the Great Wall Museum and Lanzhou Provincial Museum, and tomb murals were similar with in the other place
On June 6, we left from Jiayuguan to Dunhuang by train 7527 which departed at 7:28 in the morning. There were other two trains to Dunhuang K9667 and K591 but they departed at very early morning. Train 7527 was a green train, the biggest problem of this train was that there was no air conditioner. If you didn’t close the window tightly, the sand would be blown inside. But the advantage was that there were a few people. Also there were buses to Dunhuang, so you can choose by yourself.
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