Xiakou Ancient Fort & Han-Ming Great Wall
峡口古城
A Ming-era garrison fortress guarding the throat of the Hexi Corridor, where the Han and Ming Great Walls run side by side, earning it the nickname 'open-air Great Wall museum'.
Xiakou Ancient Fort lies in Laojun Township, Shandan County, at the mouth of a gorge between the Yanzhi Mountains and the Longshou Mountains. It has been a key pass on the Silk Road since the Han dynasty. Today it preserves Ming-era walls, gate ruins and beacon towers, and outside the fort, rammed-earth sections of the Han and Ming Great Walls run alongside each other. The Great Wall in Shandan is among the best-preserved in Gansu, and you can pull over at several points along National Highway G312 to look at it. Entry is free and there are no dedicated guides. Please do not climb the surrounding ruins. It is about 120 km from Zhangye city center, making it well suited to a self-drive trip.
Opening hours
Open all day
Nearby sights
- Yanzhi Mountain
- Shandan Horse Ranch
- Biandukou Pass
- Pingshanhu Grand Canyon
- Mati Temple (Matisi Grottoes)
- Ganzhou Market (Night Food Market)
- Zhangye Shanxi Guild Hall
- Zhangye Drum Tower (Zhenyuan Tower)