Silk Road Photo Gallery - Jiayuguan
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Gansu province has long been regarded as frontier lands with hostile geography. Nevertheless, the Great Wall made it through here thanks to the constant threat of foreign invasions. Jiayuguan was thought to be the last gate before the desert. While not theoretically at the end of the Chinese empire, this place was considered the end of civilization with the barbarians living beyond. Built in the late 14th century, the 10m-high walls and complicated structure made it seemingly impregnable.Despite being in a remote part of the country, Jiayuguan is now a major tourist destination and attracts plenty of crowds.
With this place catering to the tourist crowds come shows to entertain the tourist masses.
The Guandi Temple was used for a mix of religious ceremonies from Buddhist, Doaist, to Confucian.
It is possible to walk along the long series of exterior walls to admire the various buildings within the complex and also marvel at the emptiness outside.
While the walls are long enough to spread the crowds out, everyone would make their way to the other end of the gate for the wide shot of the whole fortification.
Next door is the Great Wall Museum that showcases some incredible facts about this structure that stretches all the way to the ocean, several hours away by air.
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After a few hours of exploration, it is time to get back on the bus for the long journey to the next destination. The attractions are quite spread out across the Silk Road from Gansu to Xinjiang. |
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