Silk Road - Jiayuguan

 Jiayuguan (Pass) was the furthermost point of the ancient Great Wall in the northwest built in the Ming Dynasty  (14th century), strategically located in the narrowest part of the Hexi Corridor and an important defense area for China since the Han Dynasty (BC202).  It was also an important hub on the Silk Road.  The Great Wall and the fortress were restored.  Years ago, I was at the section of the Great Wall in Badaling near Beijing - it looked ancient.  The Great Wall at Jiayuguan looked modern - bit of a disappointment but we were still on ancient ground, just need a bit more imagination...

The Great Wall at Jiayuguan

It took us three hours on the bus to get to Jiayuguan from Zhangye but the time went quickly as our scholarly local guide kept us occupied with his continuing series of lectures on Chinese history.  He spoke with such passion it was hard not to pay attention!  

And here's a note for some of my friends who are contemplating an independent road trip in the area.  There are frequent rest stops like you would see in North America, with gas, toilets, groceries, food and even dish-washing facilities.  We stopped at what looked like a truck stop and it seems that some drivers brought along their wives to cook for them.  I saw one of them washing her pots in the dish-washing area.  

We got to try the sweetest local melons at a rest stop

We had lunch at a noodle place when we got to Jiayuguan City - that was quite a culinary experience.  They brought us nine different kinds of noodles and we selected our own accompanying ingredients from an array of options as you can see below.  

Black rice noodles are the best!

We climbed the wall the afternoon we arrived at Jiayuguan. It seemed a bit daunting as it was late in the day and I didn't think I could make it to the top.  It was not a scenic area so the hike was purely a physical challenge.  I did make it to the top, thanks to some cheerleading from fellow travellers.  As usual, the return trip was harder on the knees but it was faster and it was great to be greeted with a reviving treat of water melon at the foot of the wall.

The last stretch!

Looking back from the tower

The view on the other side of the tower

Emerging from the other side of the tower and faced with thousands of love locks

The view on the way down

The ancient fortress was the focus of the following morning at Jiayuguan.  There were some original steel doors at the fortress entrance but the walls and ramparts looked very "restored". It was interesting walking on the ramparts and visualizeing what defenders of the fortress had to deal with.

The impressive thick walls of the fortress

Metal doors at the gate

Temple to Guan Gong, warrior guardian

General's residence inside the grounds

The fortress and ramparts were very impressive.  Walking along the ramparts helped recreate the history of this key defence post in China's farthest reaches in the northwest.

I find the different perspectives of looking at the inside walls from above and below very interesting - imagining war horses galloping in to deliver important military intelligence...;-)

And here's one guy who could indulge in all that imaginative play!

After the visit to the fortress, we made the five hour drive to Dunhuang in time for dinner. The most interesting thing at dinner in Dunhuang was how the chicken was served - whole and not chopped up.  I had seen this on TV but didn't realize this was how chicken was served in this part of the country.   

Fish of the day