Jiayu Guan Chenglou (Jiayu Guan Fort)
The Ming dynasty's rebuilt section of the Great Wall is still most people's image of China; this final outpost of the Wall is the best-preserved and most spectacular. First built in 1372, then expanded and reinforced in 1539, it was the final project of the Ming rebuilding. Entering from the east, you first come to theWenchang Pavilion,restored in the late Qing dynasty, where intellectuals were said to compose poems, lamenting their rotten luck in being sent to live with the barbarians beyond the Wall. Before leaving, they could enjoy performances at the open-air theater opposite. After passing throughGuanghua Men,the first of the three main 17m (56-ft.) towers, they would hurl a stone against the Wall to find out whether they would ever return to civilization. If the stone bounced back, all was well, but if it slithered quietly down the Wall, hope was lost.
Another legend associated with the Wall shows that obsession with quantification started long before 1949. The project's supervisor demanded an exact estimate of the number of bricks to be used in the construction of the fort; if the number was off by one brick, the death penalty awaited one Engineer Yi. When the fort was completed, Yi found that there was one brick left over. Faced with evidence of his failure, Yi declared it "the brick to balance the fort"(ding cheng zhuan)and walked away unscathed. The brick sits on the side ofHui Ji Men,and locals joke about tripping on it. The second main tower,Rou Yuan Men,represents the Ming policy of peaceful coexistence with the minorities beyond the Wall, a policy that ended in the Qing dynasty, when Xinjiang was dragged back into the Chinese empire. Inside the main courtyard is theYouji Yamen,where the unfortunate generals were stationed with their families. The building is unremarkable but for anantiques shopon the east side. Most items are copies, and all are overpriced, but there are genuine pieces left over from the relocation of the museum from Jiayu Guan to the fort.
Continuing west, you face the massive outer Wall, over 10m (33 ft.) high, and pass throughJiayu Guan Gate.Chinese tour groups joke about forgetting their passport, ride camels, and dress up in funny minority costumes, but in the past it was no joke. Locals called it the Gate of Sighs, and the walls were scrawled with hastily composed poems by unfortunate exiles.
TheGreat Wall Museum(admission included in the price of the ticket; located near the fort's exit; 8:30am-8pm July-Oct, 8:30am-7pm Nov-June) is worth a visit for its well-curated exhibition of photos and models of various spots along the Great Wall.
 | | | |
| Hours | July-Oct 8:30am-7:30pm; Nov-June 8:30am-5:30pm. (Times listed are hours of ticket booth; the fort closes a half-hour after the last ticket sold) | |
| | | |
| Transportation | Take a taxi (¥12/$1.40), ride a bike, or walk the 5km (3 miles) from town. Turn right about 1km after the railway bridge, follow a line of concrete camels, and eventually turn left at a signposted fork in the road | |
| | | |
| Prices | Admission ¥60 ($7.50), including entry to the Changcheng Bowuguan (Great Wall Museum) | |