Jiayuguan

The westernmost major fort of the Great Wall, Jiayuguan was constructed in the early Ming dynasty at a narrow pass between the Qilian Mountains and the Mazong range, marking the traditional boundary between imperial China and the western regions. The pass fort complex includes three concentric walls, watchtowers, and a gate tower that frames views of snow-capped mountains to the south. The structure was known historically as the Impregnable Pass Under Heaven.