The First Fire Tower of the Great Wall

About seven kilometers (4.35 miles) south of Jiayuguan City lay 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.

This frustum was built in the 18th year of the Jiajing Period of the Ming Dynasty (1539). With a flat top, it is a square pyramid, with a length, width, and height of each 14 meters. As the result of water erosion over hundreds of years, some parts have been destroyed. Standing alongside a cliff, the frustum 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. Standing on the tower, visitors can experience the grandeur of an ancient civilization while appreciating the marvelous view of the vast Gobi.

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.

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