China: Gate tower at Jiayuguan Fort, Gansu Province
{"Image ImageDescription": "1172273 China: Gate tower at Jiayuguan Fort, Gansu Province; (add.info.: Jiayuguan, the 'First and Greatest Pass under Heaven', was completed in 1372 on the orders of Zhu Yuanzhang, the first Ming Emperor (1368-98), to mark the end of the Ming Great Wall. It was also the very limits of Chinese civilisation, and the beginnings of the outer 'barbarian' lands. For centuries the fort was not just of strategic importance to Han Chinese, but of cultural significance as well. This was the last civilised place before the outer darkness, those proceeding beyond, whether disgraced officials or criminals, faced a life of exile among nomadic strangers.); Pictures from History/David Henley; .", "Image Copyright": "Pictures from History/David Henley / Bridgeman Images"}