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Jiayuguan City, Gansu Province
An important part of the Jiayuguan ancient military defense system
The Overhanging Great Wall, also know as the Cantilever Great Wall, is located about 7 kilometers away from Jiayuguan. It was built in Ming Dynasty(1539). The city wall is steep and spectacular on the mountain, which looks like a cantilever, hence the name. The Overhanging Great Wall is located on the Heishan Mountain(Black Mountain) on the north side of Shiguanxia Gorge, with the first pier of the Great Wall in the west and Jiayuguan in the east, which is the northern end of the West Great Wall in ancient Suzhou.
The Overhanging Great Wall is located 14 kilometers northwest of Jiayuguan City and 8 kilometers away from Jiayuguan City. The Nanshan Great Wall in the Jiayuguan Pass is the Shiguanxia Great Wall, and the Beishan Great Wall is the Overhanging Great Wall. They are both important parts of the Jiayuguan West Great Wall.
The Overhanging Great Wall was built in the Ming Dynasty(AD 1540). Shiguanxia Great Wall, located in the south of the Shiguanxia, is about 500 meters long, stretching from east to west. The Overhanging Great Wall, located in the north of the Shiguanxia, is about 750 meters long, stretching from south to north. The Overhanging Great Wall is steep and spectacular, hanging like a cantilever, and it is called Badaling in the west. These two Great Walls jointly guard the entrance of Shiguanxia Gorge.
The Jiayuguan Pass mainly reflects the ancient Silk Road culture and the Great Wall culture. The the Overhanging Great Wall winds at the top of Heishan Mountain(Black Mountain), which is steep and winding. Zhang Qian, Huo Qubing, Xuanzang, and Marco Polo all stopped here.
To experience the magnificent of the Overhanging Great Wall, you can climb or hike at the steep wall at the scenic area to challenge yourselves. During your climbing, you can know about the formation of the walls of it and stories of the Overhanging Great Wall.
At the top of the Overhanging Great Wall, you can have a panoramic view of the surrounding landscapes. The Cantilever Great Wall extends to the top of Qilian Mountain. Inside and outside the Great Wall, the scenery is very different. Climbing to the highest place, you can have a panoramic view of both sides, with barren mountains and Gobi on one side and fertile plains and cultivated land on the other.
There are many famous persons stopped at Overhanging Great Wall in the past. At the Overhanging Great Wall, you can know about the stories and history of it and the literary men of past dynasties.
The magnificent Overhanging Great Wall provides you photographing opportunities. And the majestic walls are the best background for your photos. Standing on the Overhanging Great Wall, you can experience the bleakness of the Gobi desert and the surrounding landscapes.
The best time to visit the Overhanging Great Wall is April to October with comfortable weather and most dramatic scenery. The skies in spring and autumn are crisp and clear, which is suitable for you to have a panoramic view of the surrounding landscapes of the Overhanging Great Wall. And the weather in spring and autumn is also ideal for hiking. July to August is the school summer vacation of China, and you’d better get prepared for the crowds of domestic tourists. While the visibility in Overhanging Great Wall is best in summer. Overhanging Great Wall is cold and windy in winter, which is not ideal for most visitors.
Jiayuguan Pass
Jiayuguan Pass, also known as Jiayuguan Fortress, is 6 kilometers southwest of Jiayuguan City. It is located in the middle of Jiayuguan's narrowest valley, on Jiayu Mountain. The Jiayuguan Pass crosses through the desert Gobi, which is 8 kilometers from the Overhanging Great Wall and 7 kilometers from the First Beacon Tower of the Great Wall. It dominated the western end of the Great Wall in Ming Dynasty and was called the First Pass in Hexi Corridor since ancient times.
Jiayuguan Pass was built in Ming Dynasty(1372). It took 168 years(1372-1539) to complete the construction of the Jiayuguan Pass. It is the most dangerous pass among the more than 1,000 passes along the Great Wall in Ming Dynasty, and it has been well-preserved so far.
Jiayuguan Pass consists of three defense lines: the inner city, the outer city and the moat. Together with the Great Wall, Jiayuguan Pass formed a military defense system. Jiayuguan Pass is dominated by the inner city. There are two doors in the inner city, the east is the Guanghua Gate and the west is Rouyuan Gate. There are fourteen watchtowers, arrow towers, corner towers, attics and other buildings on the inner wall of Jiayuguan Pass. There are also pavilions, temples, archway and theatrical stage in the Jiayuguan Pass. With exquisite architectural distribution, the Jiayuguan Pass is magnificent, which echoes each other from afar with the Shanhaiguan Pass.
The Overhanging Great Wall is 18 kilometers from Jiayuguan City and 8 kilometers from the Jiayuguan Pass, you can take a taxi to the Overhanging Great Wall from Jaiyuguan City or Jiayuguan Pass.
A trip to the Overhanging Great Wall is usually combined with the Jaiyuguan Pass, and you can spend a day to visit the Jaiyuguan Pass and the Overhanging Great Wall in Jiayuguan City.
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