The fort towers
Over both gates.
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The first frontier fortress at the western end of the Ming-dynasty Great Wall, called by the Chinese «the mightiest pass under heaven»; with the Juyong and Shanhai passes it is one of the Wall's chief passes, and part of the Great Wall on UNESCO's World Heritage List since 1987. It stands at the narrowest point of the Hexi Corridor between two hills by an oasis on the edge of the desert, on the Silk Road: under the Ming, most merchants and envoys from Central and West Asia entered China through it. Work began in 1372; the gate tower followed in 1495, the inner towers in 1506, and the corner towers, wing walls and beacon towers in 1539. The fort is a trapezoid whose wall runs 733 metres and stands 11 metres high, with east and west gates each topped by a tower, a turret at every corner and three lines of defence: inner fort, outer fort and moat. Legend says its builder estimated 99,999 bricks, and when the work was done a single brick was left over, which still sits on one of the gates. The ticket covers the fort, the «Overhanging Wall» climbing the hill to the north, and the «First Beacon» at the Wall's western end on the edge of a deep gorge, costing CNY 110 in season and valid two days; the fort is open from 8 am to 6.30 pm, per visitor guides.
Over both gates.
Climbing the hill.
The Wall's western end.
About 6 km south-west of Jiayuguan city, Gansu
Yes, they lie on the same high-speed line along the Hexi Corridor, and many travellers see Zhangye's coloured hills, then Jiayu Pass, then Dunhuang in one trip.
Yes, Gansu has a large Hui Muslim community, and the city has plenty of Lanzhou-style beef noodle shops and other restaurants under the halal sign.