Jiayuguan

Jiayuguan Fort

Jiayuguan (嘉峪关; Jiāyùguān) is a city in Gansu Province.

Understand

Known as the 'mouth of China' because of its position at the end of the Great Wall of China where it guarded the western boundary of Ming Dynasty China. The narrow river passage heading southeast from here is known as the Hexi Corridor and is nicknamed the 'throat of China'.

Get in

By plane

• 1 Jiayaguan Airport (JGN  ^IATA) (located 11 km NE of the city center). The airport offers flights from Xian, Lanzhou, Beijing, Dunhuang, Guangzhou, Nanjing, Shanghai–Hongqiao, Yantai, Yinchuan.  

By train

Jiayuguan South Railway Station (嘉峪关南火车站; Jiāyùguān Nan Huǒchēzhàn) is to the south east of the town in a new development area and connects to Lanzhou & Urumqi with the D type (200Kph) trains.

• Lanzhou - takes about 4 hours
• Xining - takes about 3 hours
• Zhangye - takes about 1 hour
• Turpan - takes about 5 hours
• Urumqi - takes about 6 hours
• Liuyuan - takes about 2 hours
• Dunhuang - takes about 2.5 hours
• Xian - takes about 9 hours

Jiayuguan Railway Station (嘉峪关火车站; Jiāyùguān Huǒchēzhàn) is on Yingbin West Road, southwest of the town center.

• Beijing - takes about 33 hours
• Chengdu - takes about 26 hours
• Liuyuan - takes about 6 hours
• Shanghai - takes about 28 hours
• Turpan - takes about 17 hours
• Urumqi - takes about 13–18 hours
• Xian - takes about 20 hours
• Lanzhou - takes about 9 hours
• Dunhuang - takes about 5 hours

By bus

Long Distance Bus Station is at the corner of Jingtie West Road and Shengli South Road.

• Dunhuang - takes about 5–8 hours
• Lanzhou - takes about 14 hours
• Zhangye - takes about 4–5 hours
• Jiuquan - takes about 20 minutes.
• Hami - takes about 11 hours, ¥136.
• Urumqi - takes about 15 hours, only Thursday 9.00, ¥300

A night bus runs to Xining from here.

Get around

By bus

A bus ticket costs ¥1. A map of all bus routes around the city are on every bus station on the reverse side of the bus information, although in Chinese only but with legible route numbers.

• Bus 1 - The south bound bus heads from the centre of town to the train station.
• Bus 4 - This leaves the train station, goes through town and then to the Jiayuguan Fort, north of the city.
• Bus 10 - From Jiayuguan South Railway Station to the north of the city.
• Jiayu Pass cultural relics scenic spot is 5 km away from urban city, take the bus No.4 can go there directly, ticket fee is ¥1, and it will take 20 minutes on the bus.
• Jiayu Pass the Great Wall first trick is 7.5 km away from urban city, you can choose one-day tour line or take taxi, round trip ticket is ¥50, and it will tale 30 minutes on the bus.
• Jiayu Pass overhanging Great Wall is 7.5 km away from urban city, you can choose one-day tour line or take taxi, round trip ticket is ¥50, and it will tale 30 minutes on the bus.
• Jiayu Pass Wei and Jin Dynasty Cultural travel scenic is 18 km away from urban city, you can choose one-day tour line or take taxi, round trip ticket is ¥50, and it will tale 30 minutes on the bus.

By Taxi

Taxis start at ¥6 for 2 kilometres. Taxis near train stations, airports and scenic spots may rip off customers. If you want to hire a taxi to take you to various scenic spots, remember to ask a few more drivers.

Taxis in the city usually cost no more than ¥15 (including Jiayuguan Railway Station). A little more expensive to go to Jiayuguan South Railway Station from city, but usually no more than ¥35.

See

Overhanging Wall

Jiayu guan tourist area Three parts - Pass, Xuanbi Wall and The first Pier, ticket for all parts ¥110 in high season (student half).

• 1 Jiayu Pass, ☏ +86 937-6396110. 4/1-4/30 08:30-18:005/1-6/30 08:00-18:007/1-10/10 08:00-18:0010/11-11/15 08:00-18:0011/16-4/15 08:00-18:00. A rather modern and rebuilt part of the last fortress at the Great Wall towards the west. Includes the generic camel rides and archery stores to distract from the rather meager attraction. Take bus no.4 to last stop, north of the town. Western terminus of the Ming Great Wall of China, trapezoid-shaped fortress overlooking the Gobi Desert. Looking over to the mountain is almost the best part of this trip. Taking the electric cart to the site entrance is only required for those with severe walking problems as it is only 4-5 minutes walking. Renting bicycles is not required either. Off-season is half price. There is an interesting man called "Chief of The Pass" (关长). You can have a free photo taken with him or pay him a small fee to write you a handwritten "passport" (Like a passport in ancient times). ¥110. (updated Jul 2023)
• Great Wall Museum. Inside the area of Pass, no ticket required. Dedicated solely to the Great Wall. 
• Overhanging Wall. Xuanbi Wall (悬壁长城) About 7km far from the Pass, you can walk from the Pass to the East (1hour) along the road or take taxi. The views from the top are great, and ignoring the town, it gives a feeling of how remote a place this once was. There are two parts to the Overhanging Wall. The first has a fort and two towers. The second has two towers, no fort, but the climb is higher. They are 100m apart. This is generally more authentic than the Pass but it depends on what kind of sightseeing you prefer. 
• . First Pier of Great Wall (长城第一墩;changcheng diyi dun) ¥20, cable car over river Beida (¥31). About 7km to West from the Fort, take taxi at train station, 4km. 
• Wei Jin Tombs. Tombs of town from the Wei and Jin periods with nice paintings inside. Only one tomb is open to the public. It includes three small rooms. Nevertheless it is very interesting and you will not be disappointed. Photography is forbidden inside the tomb. At the entrance of the tomb compound is a small museum with some coffets. A trip from the city and back (including visit) takes about 1,5 - 2h. 
• 2 Jiayuguan City Museum (嘉峪关城市博物馆), 1379 Wu Yi South Road (五一南路1379号) (take bus no. 3, 5 or 9 North Bus Terminal (9路公交北站); the museum is next door the municipal government building), ☏ +86 937 6330550. 09:00-17:00, no entry after 16:30, closed on Monday (except when Monday is a public holiday). Free. (updated Mar 2024)

Buy

• Supermarket (Just opposite the Jinhua Jiulou Restaurant). 

Eat

• Night Market (富强市场) (FuQiang Market) (North corner of Jiayuguan, easy to find, head north along Xinhua South Road, the main street, it is on the right after the crossing where the Jiayuguan Hotel is.). There are vendors on the street selling food, and lots of little street restaurants. Grilled lamb skewers, 1.5 - ¥2 per skewer. (updated Jul 2023)
• Jinhua Jiulou, Xinhua South Road (Opposite the Jiaotong Hotel, behind the little park). The staff do not speak English, but the food is great. 
• Aili-Bakery (Xinhua Zhonglu, 100-200m south-east of the roundabout, east-side of the road). Bakery-Cafe with free and fast Wifi-Connection. Coffee is rubbish, but pastry is ok... 

Sleep

• Huili Business Hotel (Huili Business Hotel), West of Xiongguan Square. The Huili Business Hotel (Jiayuguan Huili Shangwu Gongyu) is located in downtown Jiayuguan, west of Xiongguan Square. All 141 rooms are equipped with independent air conditioning, digital TVs, computers and broadband internet access. 
• Jiayuguan Yuda Hotel (Jiayuguan Yuda Hotel), West Yingbin Road (Yingbin Xi Lu). The Jiayuguan Yuda Hotel (Jiayuguan Yuda Dajiudian) is located in the vicinity of Yingbin Lake and is only 3 kilometers from Jiayuguan Railway Station. On offer here are various rooms equipped with all standard amenities including air conditioners, international direct dial phones and mini bars. 

Budget

• Jinye Binguan (Junction Lanxin Xilu and Shengli Zhonglu). Twin without bathroom ¥70, twin with ensuite ¥100 
• No English name hotel (Go 100m NW from Jinye Binguan. The hotel is after a pharmacy and a copyshop.). twin without bathroom ¥45, twin with ensuite ¥68 
• Jiaotong (On the corner of Lanxin East Road and Xinhua South Road, near the long distance bus station), ☏ +86 937 6202260. 
• Xin Yi (At the city hospital bus stop (line 1 and 4), next to the market and right next to the Chinese Construction Bank.).  ¥60 for a double room with bathroom.

Mid-range

• Qingnian Hotel (Qingnian Binguan), 4 Jianshe West Road, ☏ +86 937 6201088. Be careful of this hotel. Even if you speak Chinese, they will say one price for a room checking in, and when you leave they will charge you another price. 
• Xiongguan Restaurant (Xiongguan Binguan), 31 Xinhua Central Road, ☏ +86 937 6201116, fax: +86 937 6225399. 

Splurge

• Great Wall Hotel Jiayuguan, 6 Jianshe West Road, ☏ +86 937 6225288, fax: +86 937 6226016. 
• Jiaguguan Hotel, 1 Xinhua North Road, ☏ +86 937 6226983, fax: +86 937 6227174. 

Connect

• Internet Cafe - On Xinhua Nan Lu. From the Xiongguan hotel walk north about 15m. There is a lane going behind the buildings on the right. On the right hand side, there is a stairs. The internet cafe is on the first floor. This is a big place, good speed, flat screens, but a little smokey. ¥2 per hour.

Go next

• July 1 Glacier (Qiyi Glacier) - enormous 500 meter glacier, day trip tours available, renting a taxi costs about ¥500 (2009) for the 130 km trip. The road is long and the conditions are not great, make sure you rent a good taxi. 3–5 hours, to the 4,300 m base. Then a climb up to the glacier.

Another way to get to the glacier is to take a train to Jintieshan for 4.¥5 each way - departs at 7am, returns at 5pm. It takes about 2 hours. From there you need to go by taxi for about another hour (we were quoted ¥100 per person in Aug 11, but negotiated it down, feel we could have got it down to half price). For the price the driver will wait and bring you back to the station again in time for the 5pm train back to Jiayuguan.

Entrance is ¥101, or 51 for students.

• visa-extension - head south Xinhua Zhonglu for about 3 km until you reach a statue with a horse. Turn left for 200-300m. The PSB is on your left. (opposite the station). Friendly staff, takes 2–3 days.