First Mound under the Heaven,Jiayuguan

The First Mound under the Heaven was built in 1533 by General Lipan and originally served as a watch tower. It was constructed in an amazingly gorgeous pyramid shape. However with years of erosion and weathering from sandstorms and winds, most parts of it had already collapsed leaving only the foundation standing there.

It had a length of 14.3 meter, a width of 15.7 meters and a height 8.3 meters. It was built upon a cliff that was 50 meters elevated from the ground with the Taolaihe River flowing alongside of it. The river continuously washes out and erodes the cliff-side endangering the remaining mound. Even with much effort from the local government by building a dam upriver hoping to reduce erosion, the southeastern corner of the mound had inevitably collapsed and been swept down the river without trace.

A tourist scenic spot was developed in the adjacent area, where tourists can ride the water slider, water drift in the river, or pay a visit to various scenes close by. There is a beautiful valley, an archaized army camp, a suspension bridge and various sculptures of the ancient warriors and war scenes. Visiting these places of interest and participating in the activities is quite an interesting sightseeing as well as learning experience of the local traditions and customs.