Overhanging Great Wall

A stretch of the Great Wall in the Heishan mountains northwest of Jiayuguan, raised in the first half of the 16th century as the northern wing of the pass defences. The wall climbs a steep scree slope almost vertically, which is how it came to be called overhanging, and the present crenellated masonry was restored at the end of the 20th century. From the upper tower there is a view of the oasis, of the industrial zone of the city and of the ridge running off into the desert.

On the map