Jiayuguan Fort

Jiayuguan is where the Ming defensive line stops. The fort is a rectangle of rammed earth walls with three tiered gate towers, an inner and an outer gate and a broad parade ground, standing alone on gravel desert with the Qilian mountains and their snow line to the south. Travellers heading west passed out through this gate, and the pass carries that association through a good deal of old poetry. A short drive away the Overhanging Great Wall climbs a bare ridge in a stepped line, and further out a lone eroded stub marks the wall's westernmost beacon above a river gorge. All of it forms part of the Great Wall World Heritage listing.

What you actually see

• The gate towers - three tiers of timber and tile above the rammed earth walls.
• The parade ground - the open court between inner and outer walls, with the mountains beyond.
• The Overhanging Great Wall - a steep stepped section climbing a bare ridge nearby.
• The First Beacon - the eroded stub of the wall's westernmost tower above a river gorge.

When to go

May to October. Winter here is severe and windy and the site is entirely exposed. Clear mornings give the best chance of snow on the Qilian range behind the walls, which is what makes the photograph. Spring sandstorms can flatten visibility for days. Half a day covers the fort plus one of the two outlying sections.

Honest expectations

Much of what stands has been restored, and the newer brickwork and timber look it. The fort is smaller inside than its setting suggests and can be walked in an hour. There is no shade, the wind is constant, and the three sites are far enough apart to need a taxi with waiting time. The town itself is industrial.

Nearby

The painted brick tombs of the Wei and Jin period lie outside town, and Dunhuang is a few hours west.