Jiayuguan, the beginning of the western part of the Ming Great Wall, is the most majestic in scale along the Ming Great Wall and the most well-preserved ancient military castle. It has been also an important military fort along the Great Wall since Ming Dynasty. Therefore, it is known as “a strong fort against foreign aggression for China” and ”the first mountain pass of Hexi” .

Located in the cross part between China and Europe (west-central) in the Hexi Corridor, Jiayuguan has a history of 631 years, which was built 9 years earlier than Shanhai Guan. In the beginning of Ming Dynasty, Lord Song, and Commander-in-chief for Suppressing Barbarians, Feng Zheng selected the site to build the fort on the way of returning after victory. The site is the western foot of Jiayu Yuan in the middle of Hexi Corridor, the throat with Jiuquan in the east, Yumen in the west, Mountain Qilian in the south and Black Mountain behind. The town of the fort was built in the fifth year of Hongwu of the Ming Dynasty (1372 A.D.) and finished in 1540 A.D., which took 168 years to complete.

Jianyuguan has been inscribed on the World Heritage List by UNESCO in 1987 and listed in the first group of national key culture relic protection unit by the state council in 1961. Jiayu Guan is not only the beginning of the western part of the Ming Great Wall, but the most well-preserved and the most majestic in scale ancient military castle along the Ming Great Wall. It enjoys the name of “the first impregnable fort of the world”.