3. Xinzhou, Shanxi province

Situated in northern Shanxi province, this section of the wall has been long regarded as the key to Shanxi. Xinzhou has a history of more than 1,800 years and is also famous for its wrestling and folk song traditions.

The Yanmenguan pass of the Great Wall is situated on Yanmen Mountain and its gates look like tunnel doors. The pass has two gates and both were constructed with huge grey bricks. For centuries this pass had been served in crucial battles. It was a common route on which northern invaders used to attack ancient Chinese empires.

The average altitude of the pass rises above 1,500 meters, and the nearby peaks are steep. Standing on the watchtower, a visitor can imagine what it would have been like to be an ancient Chinese general, commanding decisive battles against intruders.

4. Dunhuang, Gansu province

Dunhuang sits on the conjunction point of Gansu and Qinghai provinces and the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region in Northwest China. Its strategic point on the Silk Road made it a famous location for travelers. The Yumenguan section of the Great Wall, located 70 km from Dunhuang city, was considered the western door of China but was constructed very differently compared with other important passes on the Great Wall.

Yumenguan was built in a desert and was most active more than 2,000 years ago. Until 600 AD, it was the final outpost of Chinese territory for Chinese caravans on their long journeys to India and the Roman Empire. It was abandoned for centuries and in 1944 Chinese archaeologists confirmed it was part of the Great Wall. Today visitors can enjoy the splendid scenes of the Gobi Desert.