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Jiayuguan

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Jiayuguan Fort
Jiayuguan Fort

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

[edit] 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'.

[edit] Get in

[edit] By plane

Jiayaguan Airport (IATA: JGN) is located 11 km NE of the city center. The airport offers flights to Xian via Lanzhou.

[edit] By train

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

[edit] 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, 136yuan.
  • Urumqi - takes about 15 hours, only thursday 9.00, 300yuan 
A night bus runs to Xining from here.

[edit] Get around

[edit] By bus

A bus ticket costs ¥1.

  • 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.

[edit][add listing] See

Overhanging Wall
Overhanging Wall

Jiayu guan tourist area Three parts - Pass, Xuanbi Wall and The first Pier, ticket for all parts ¥120 (student half).

  • Jiayu Pass. 1st part - It's not possible to take a ticket just for this part, you have to pay the whole pass (¥120). 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.  edit
  • Great Wall Museum. Inside the area of Pass, no ticket required. Dedicated solely to the Great Wall.  edit
  • Overhanging Wall. 2nd part - Xuanbi Wall (悬壁长城) ¥21. About 7km far from The Pass, you can walk from the Pass to the East (1hour) or take taxi (costs ¥50 for round trip from town). 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.  edit
  • 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. Photography is forbidden inside the tomb  edit

[edit][add listing] Do

[edit][add listing] Buy

  • Supermarket, (Just oppisite the Jinhua Jiulou Restaurant).  edit

[edit][add listing] Eat

  • Night 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 venders on the street selling food, and lots of little street restaurants.  edit
  • Jinhua Jiulou, Xinhua South Road (Oppisite the Jiaotong Hotel, behind the little park). The staff do not speak English, but the food is great.  edit
  • 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...  edit

[edit][add listing] Drink

[edit][add listing] Sleep

[edit] Budget

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

[edit] 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.  edit
  • Xiongguan Restaurant (Xiongguan Binguan), 31 Xinhua Central Road, ☎ +86 937 6201116 (fax: +86 937 6225399).  edit

[edit] Splurge

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

[edit] Contact

  • 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.

[edit] Get out

  • July 1st Glacier - enormous 500 meter glacier, day trip tours available, renting a taxi costs about ¥500 (2009) for the 130km 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 yuan 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 yuan 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 yuan, or 51 for students.

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

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