The Great Wall Museum (Changcheng bowuguan), originally lying to the west of Xinhua nanlu, is at the moment moving location. Updated information will be provided when the new location is established (ED. 17/10/00). The following information, below, concerns the original museum, whose contents will be moved.

It was the first of its kind to offer comprehensive and systematic understanding of the history of the Great Wall. Covering a total area of 3 acres, the "beacon tower" styled complex is made up of seven different sections, with the central theme of the "Great Wall". With the help of scale models, diagrams, words and photos spanning from the Warring States Period to the Ming Dynasty (a total of more than 3,000 years), the museum gives visitors a fairly good representation of the life of this vast, snaking wall.

Jiayuguan Fort

The Jiayuguan Fort,which is located six kilometers southwest from the city center, is the most famous sight of this area. The fort is generally acknowledged to be the western end of the snaking Great Wall, despite the obvious proof that it stretches beyond here (mounting evidence pushing it westward every year).

The fort stands in the middle of the narrowest part of the ridge (the Jiayu Pass) that separates the northern Qilian and southern Mazong Mountain Ranges, while on the west and eastern sides of the fort lies the vast expanse of the Gobi Desert. The Section of the Great Wall that leads off from the fort, starting from near the Gate of Conciliation, leads northwards along the Black Mountain (Hei shan) to the Overhanging Great Wall and the continuing Mazong Mountains beyond.

Although the fort was possibly first constructed in the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD), the present day complex is in the style of the old Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD) construction, completed in 1372. With primitive working tools it took thousands of laborers dozens of years to complete the project. Goats, and even ice, were used to convey building materials to the site.

The fort, also known as the "Impregnable Defile Under Heaven" (Tianxia diyi xiongguan), has been crowned as the best in China due to its perilous and bleak location. The existing building is sunk into yellow soil, and the western walls are fortified by bricks. The whole area has a perimeter of 640 meters and is littered with different towers, mostly archery buildings or watch towers.

July 1st Glacier

The July 1st Glacier, lying in the Qilianshan Mountain Range, 130km southwest of Jiayuguan (the nearest of its kind in the world from a city), got its name because it was discovered on this date by a Sino-Soviet geological exploration team not long before the relationship between China and Soviet Russia deteriorated.

The glacier, extending from 4,300m to 5,150m above sea level, covers a total area of 5 square kilometers. The average thickness of the glacier is 78m with a maximum obliquity of less than 45 degrees, making it relatively easy for ordinary travelers to ascend. There is a well worn 5km trail that runs along the side of the glacier, that is the best way to see this area, and get back in time for tea. There is also an epitaph here, of unknown origin, that the Chinese are quick to gather around for holiday snaps.

Over Hanging Great Wall

Originally this section was 1.5km in length, but it was shortened to the current 750m due to frequent battles by armies to conquer the fort. The existing wall was rebuilt in 1987.
The Overhanging Wall gets its name because there is a 231 meter long section, with an obliquity of 45 degrees, built onto a 150m high ridge. From a distance, it is said to resemble a dragon about to extend its body towards the ground. Walking along the stairs leading to the city walls, you will find that some parts are flat as plain, while others steep as a precipice. From the top of the Wall you may get a bird's eye view of the desert stretching before you, the oasis of Jiayuguan in the near ground, and the snow-capped mountains far away in the distance.