Jiayuguan Fortress

En un regard

Le château en bref

At the narrowest point of the Hexi Corridor, between the snowy peaks of the Qilian Mountains and the dark hills of the Heishan, Jiayuguan Fortress marks the western end of the Ming Great Wall. On the Silk Road it was the empire's last gate for caravans heading west, and the first for merchants and envoys arriving from Central Asia. Its position earned it the nickname of "the mightiest pass under Heaven". Tradition dates its foundation to 1372 and credits General Feng Sheng, on his way back from his Hexi campaign. Historians note, however, that the official Ming chronicles do not mention this foundation and that the link with Feng Sheng only appears in the early 16th century. The fortress in any case took its present form in stages: the pass tower in 1495, the gate towers about ten years later, then the connection to the walls under Li Han around 1539-1540. At its heart is a trapezoidal enclosure 733 metres round and about 11 metres high, with a tower at each corner and two gates protected by barbicans. A spring at its foot forms an oasis, one of the reasons the site was chosen. The fortress is part of the Great Wall UNESCO World Heritage Site.