Great Wall

Gansu

What is now Gansu Province was of great military importance in ancient China. This region was a natural defense which prevented the constant invasion of the northern tribes. Fortification constructions began in the region from the Warring States Period (476 BC-221 BC) and were continued through the Qin, Han and Ming dynasties.

Most people think of high and substantial walls, castles or passes built on the steep ridges when talking about the Great Wall. However, due to the terrain and the various historical periods, the sections of the Wall in Gansu are very different from the one in Hebei Province. For example, the western sections of the Qin Wall which went along the Yellow River were not solid walls. Because the Yellow River served as a natural barrier, no wall or moat was necessary, instead forty-four towns were built at key points to prevent the Huns from passing the river. The garrison towns and the river combined together functioned as a defensive barrier in that region.

In the western part of Gansu, the terrain features deserts and moats formed the main fortification with beacon towers built along it at intervals. Most remnants of the Han Wall found in Dunhuang, Yumenguan  and Yangguan are fine examples.

The only remnant of the Ming Wall is the Jiayuguan Pass , a fort of strategic significance in the Hexi Corridor. The castle, with the imposing walls eleven meters high and 7,333 meters in perimeter, formed the westernmost extreme of the Great Wall during the Ming Dynasty. It is worthy of a visit. The Overhanging Great Wall , a narrow barrier built along a steep ridge, seven kilometers northwest of Jiayuguan is also very interesting.