The first fire tower of the Great Wall

About seven kilometers (4.35 miles) south of Jiayuguan City lies the first fire tower of the Great Wall. It is the first frustum of the Ming Great Wall from west to east and also the western beginning of the Ming Great Wall. The fire tower is located on the cliff at a height of about 80 meters (262 feet) by the Talai River. It plays a very important role in Jiayuguan Great Wall's defense system and regarded as the First Dangerous Fire Tower under the Heaven.

In the Ming Dynasty, Jiayuguan dominated 39 fire towers. The fire towers were not far from each other and they were useful in military affairs. This first fire tower was built in 1539, on the reign of the Ming Emperor Jiajing. With a flat top, it is a square pyramid, with its length, width and height each 14 meters (46 feet). Among those 39 fire towers, it's the most important one, which was guarded by a lot of soldiers. If the soldiers found enemy, they would give a signal (making thick smoke in the daytime or lifting firebrand at night) to the next fire tower. According to the times of giving off smoke or the number of firebrands, the soldiers can size up the enemy situation correctly. For instance, as history records, giving off smoke one time (or lifting one firebrand) together with a gun shot suggests there are about one hundred enemies.

As the result of water erosion over hundreds of years, some parts have been destroyed. Standing alongside a cliff, the fire tower shows its age. To preserve the precious relic, the Jiayuguan city government has built a 30-meter-long arched fortification, which creates a secondary structure and functions as an enclosure.

The scenery around the First Fire tower is very spectacular. It adjoins Jiuquan, Gansu Province on the east, the wild dessert on the west, the Jiayuguan Pass on the north and the Qilian Mountain on the south. The Talai River runs torrentially from here to the east. In the morning sun, the sky here seems extraordinarily blue; at dusk, looking far into the distance on the tower, you can find the snow peaks of the distant mountains are much whiter and more magnificent. Standing on the tower, visitors can experience the grandeur of an ancient civilization while appreciating the marvelous view of the vast Gobi.

Presently, the whole scenic area covers an area of about 3.22 square kilometers (1.24 square miles). Besides the first fire tower, it includes Talai River Cable Car, Talai Hotel, Tianxian Hanging Bridge, 'Zui-Wo-Sha-Chang' (drunk people that fall on the battlefield) Sculpture Group and a service area. The service area provides an anteroom, a tourist service center, a drinking room and souvenir shops and so on.

Admission Fee:	CNY 21
Opening Hours:	Whole Day