Jiayuguan
A Brief Survey
Jiayuguan,named for the western terminus of the Great
Wall,is situated in the middle section of the Hexi Corridor
in Gansu Province. It has an area of 1,260 square kilometers
and a population of approximately 110,000. The inhabitants
are mostly Hah but there are also Hui, Tibetan, Yugur,
Kazak and Uygur minorities.
Jiayuguan had been under the jurisdiction of Jiuquan
and other counties until it became a provincial municipality
in 1971. Flanked by the snow--capped and glacier--embel-
lished Qilian Mountains to the south and the rolling Black
Mountains to the north,it lies in a 15--kilometer long val-
ley. the central and western sections were originally part of
the Gobi Desert,but now,with the establishment of the Ji-
uquan Steel Company,it has been turned into a new city and
a metallurgy industrial base.
Scenic Spots
Strategic Pass Under Heaven
Jiayuguan Pass is at the foot of the Jiayu Mountains to
the southwest of the city. It'is the western terminus of the
famous Great Wall. Cleft between the Qilian and Mazong
Mountains, it was an important strategic point on the Silk
Road.
Jiayuguan Pass was constructed in 1372 and is com-
posed of inner and outer courts facing west with an area of
33,500 square meters. The towers are high and provide dis-
tant views in all directions. The whole structure is magnifi-
cently designed.
The inner court has an area of 25,000 square meters. It
has eastern and western gates with facing towers. The two
gates are protected by trap courts opening to the south. Out
of the western trap court are rectangular double gateways
facing west with the characters "Jia--Yu--Guan'inscribed
thereon. Farther west of the western trap court there is a
protective court with a main tower and two arrow towers on
each side. The three walls to the east, south, and north en-
close the outer city. Outside the west gate,there is a stone
tablet on which is inscribed "Strategic Pass Under Heaven".
Jiayuguan is the best preserved of all the Great Wall
passes and one of the most famous ancient architectural
works. Standing solid and grand ,it is cemented with the
wisdom and sweat of the Chinese people of the past . It is
said that the craftsmen had made such careful plans before
beginning work that by the time the whole construction was
completed,only one brick was left. A brick still lies on one
of the watch towers and this is said to be the very brick.
Jiayuguan Glider Base
Jiayuguan Glider Base is built at the western end of the
Hexi Corridor adjacent to the civil airport in the northern
suburbs of Jiayuguan. the broad Gobi Desert and the Ma-
zong and Qilian Mountains on either side have formed a pe~
culiar geographic location which:with its ideal climate and
the advanced equipment available there ,ranks it among the
three best glider bases in the entire world.
July First Glacier
July First Glacier is 110 kilometers southwest of Ji-
ayuguan. It is one of the many glaciers on the north side of
the Qilian Mountains. It offers a strikingly different view
from the Gobi Desert.
Black Mountain Stone Engravings
Twenty kilometers northwest of Jiayuguan in the Black
Mountains is a 24--meter--wide gorge winding for approxi-
mately a kilometer through steep cliffs and perilous rock
formations. On the cliffs are more than 30 engravings of mil-
itary drills, archery, horsemanship, hunting, dancing, birds,
animals, fish, and insects. According to archeological stud-
ies ,these might be the early cultural remains of the ancient
Qiang,Yuezhi and Xiongnu peoples.
Mural Tombs of the Wei and Jin Period
These ancient tombs were discovered in the New City
area of the Gobi Desert 20 kilometers northeast of Ji-
ayuguan. They number in the hundreds. Among the excavat-
ed tombs ,six have murals composed of 600 pieces. Except
for a few large ones ,most of the murals are one--brick mu-
rals. They mainly depict farming, mulberry culture, anima
husbandry, water fetching, hunting, gardening, opening up
wasteland, barracks, cooking, banquets, dancing, chess, cat-
tle ,clothing ,and household utensils. They are especially im-
portant for the study of the origins of grotto art.
Local Products
Black Mountain Inkstones
Inkstone is gathered from the Black Mountain gorges of
the Jiayu Mountains. It is smooth and has blue , yellow,
green and red tints;it is the material of choice for painters
and calligraghers.