Jiāyùguān

Introducing Jiāyùguān

Jiāyùguān marks one of the defining points of the Silk Road. Following the construction of the Ming-dynasty fort here in 1372, Jiāyùguān came to be known colloquially as the ‘mouth’ of China, while the narrow Hexi Corridor, leading back towards the nèidì (inner lands), was dubbed the ‘throat’.

Even today the metaphor remains lodged in the Chinese psyche, and Jiāyùguān continues to mark the symbolic end of the Great Wall, the western gateway of China proper and, for imperial Chinese, the beginning of nowhere.

A mandatory stop for tour groups, the city and its surrounding sights aren’t unmissable but are well worth a stop if you have an interest in Silk Road history.

Last updated: Jun 3, 2009