# Jiayuguan travel guide (嘉峪关) Gansu Province · Northwest, China · 5 places Canonical: https://cnatrip.com/en/destinations/gansu/jiayuguan ## Quick itinerary - **Day 1:** First Beacon Tower of the Great Wall → Jiayuguan Fort → Great Wall Museum → Cantilevered Great Wall - **Day 2:** Xincheng Wei-Jin Tombs ## The feel of the place - **Majestic Pass on the Gobi:** Jiayuguan Pass bears a plaque reading “The First Majestic Pass Under Heaven.” Similar plaques hang at Shanhai Pass and Juyong Pass, but Jiayuguan, facing the boundless Gobi, has a bearing all its own. Standing on the gate tower and looking into the distance, you see the Qilian Mountains stretching along the Gobi until they vanish at the horizon. Looking back through history, foreign cavalry once thundered in amid clouds of dust, and homesick soldiers gazed at the rolling beacon smoke on the horizon and sounded their horns. It is hard to imagine how many heroic souls this Gobi has buried; even the wind brushing your face seems to carry the spirit of battle. ## The feel of the place - tip: Jiuquan Jiuquan city administers Dunhuang City, Yumen City and Guazhou County, among others. Jiuquan is 21 km from Jiayuguan City, and Dunhuang lies 406 km west of Jiuquan. Most travellers visit these places as one route, so Jiayuguan and Jiuquan are covered together here, with the focus on Jiayuguan City. ### Jiayuguan Railway Station - address: West end of Yingbin Road ### Jiuquan Railway Station - address: 12 km south of the city centre ### Jiayuguan Long-Distance Bus Station - address: Intersection of Shengli Road and Lanxin Road - transport: Take bus 2 from the railway station and get off at Liuchalu (Six-Fork Junction) ### Jiuquan Long-Distance Bus Station - address: Xiguan Road - tip: Jiayuguan Highlights 1. Jiayuguan is a very clean city, and its street lights at night are especially lovely. The liveliest parts of town are the Xiongguan and Shangcheng areas. Take bus 1 directly from the railway station; the ride takes just over ten minutes. 2. Do not miss the sunset from the Jiayuguan gate tower. 3. The Taolai River valley beside the First Beacon Tower is spectacular, and a zip line carries you across to the far bank. It's thrilling. ### Preparation and Information ### Climate and Best Time to Visit Jiayuguan City has a temperate arid climate with large annual temperature swings. The average annual temperature is about 6°C, and annual precipitation is over 80 mm. January is the coldest month, with an absolute low of -28.6°C; July is the hottest, with an absolute high of 38°C. May to October is the best time to visit Jiayuguan City. ## Getting there & around ### Getting In and Out Transport is decent, and it's not as difficult as you might expect. ### By Air ### By Train Jiayuguan Railway Station is on West Yingbin Road, 5 km southwest of the city centre. Trains running between Ürümqi and Lanzhou, as well as trains to and from Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and Xi'an, pass through the station. ### By Road Jiayuguan Bus Station runs daily services to Lanzhou, Zhangye, Wuwei, Yumen Town, Ürümqi and Linxia. Jiayuguan City and Jiuquan are very close and linked by public bus. The station has three buses a day to Dunhuang, a journey of 6–8 hours, costing ¥85. ### Getting Around the City Jiayuguan's urban area is very small, and there are few sights within the city itself, so the bus network is not extensive. Bus 4 runs from the railway station to Jiayuguan Pass; bus 12 runs from the railway station to the South Railway Station; and bus 1 runs from the railway station to the North Bus Station (汽车北站). The fare is a flat ¥1. - **Jiayuguan Airport** — Flights to Beijing, Lanzhou and Xi'an operate every week. Visitors from other parts of China can transfer via Lanzhou. Because flights are few, there is no airport bus on a fixed timetable to and from the city, but there is an airport minibus costing ¥15. ## Eat & drink Roast whole lamb again, though the portions are so large that you'll feel the limit is not your wallet but your stomach. Jingtie Market in Jiayuguan is on the east side of Xinhua Middle Road. It is an open-air snack market under canopies, and its most popular item is grilled lamb. It's best to go with a few friends, because skewers here are sold in lots of at least 10. ## Shopping - **Grape Wine** — The unique sandy Gobi soil and meltwater from the Qilian Mountains provide excellent raw material for Jiayuguan's winemaking. The wine is rich and mellow, with a sweet aroma. - **Jiayu Stone Inkstone** — Jiayu stone inkstone was added to the third batch of Gansu Provincial Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2011. - **Luminous Cup (Yeguang Bei)** — Luminous cups are sold in Dunhuang, Jiuquan, Zhangye and other places. Made from black jade mined above 4,000 m in the Qilian Mountains, they are as thin as paper, can be filled to the brim without spilling, and ring with a pleasant sound. ## Things to see - **Jiayuguan Fort** (★★★): Admission Peak season full ticket ¥110; low season full ticket ¥90; sightseeing shuttle ticket ¥10; Opening hours 8：00—20：00; Time needed 2–3 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/jiayuguan-fort - **Great Wall Museum** (★★★): Admission Free; Opening hours 9：00—17：00; Time needed 0.5–1 hour — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/great-wall-museum - **First Beacon Tower of the Great Wall** (★★★): Opening hours 8：30—17：30; Time needed 1–2 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/first-beacon-tower-of-the-great-wall - **Xuanbi Great Wall** (★★★): Opening hours 9：30—18：00; Time needed 1–2 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/xuanbi-great-wall - **Youji General's Mansion** (★★★): Opening hours 8:30–20:00 (May–October); 8:30–18:00 (November–April); Time needed 1 hour — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/youji-general-s-mansion --- Source: China Self-Guided Travel 2025 (《中国自助游》, Tianjin Science & Technology Press, Aug 2024), pp. 743–749. Prices, hours and transport details are as printed in the August 2024 edition and may have changed. Always confirm with the venue before you travel.