Overhanging Great Wall

The Overhanging Great Wall (Xuanbi Changcheng) is a section of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall that climbs steeply — almost vertically in places — up the rocky face of Heishan (Black Mountain) north of Jiayuguan Fort. Built in 1539 as a northern defensive extension of the main Jiayuguan fortifications, it earned its dramatic name from the way the wall appears to hang or overhang the cliff face, defying gravity as it ascends over 750 metres of switchback staircases and sheer drops. The wall was completely reconstructed in 1987 using the original rammed-earth and fired-brick construction methods. Climbing the wall requires significant physical effort but rewards visitors with panoramic views over the Gobi Desert and, on clear days, the snow-capped Qilian Mountains to the south and the Jiayuguan Fort complex below. The wall connects at the bottom to a replica beacon tower system and the Shifo Gorge scenic area.