• Portland
  • Jiayuguan

Portland (/ˈpɔːrtlənd/, PORT-lənd) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous county in Oregon. As of 2020, Portland had a population of 652,503, making it the 26th-most populated city in the United States, the sixth-most populous on the West Coast, and the second-most populous in the Pacific Northwest, after Seattle. Approximately 2.5 million people live in the Portland metropolitan statistical area (MSA), making it the 25th most populous in the United States. About half of Oregon's population resides within the Portland metropolitan area.

Named after Portland, Maine, the Oregon settlement began to be populated in the 1840s, near the end of the Oregon Trail. Its water access provided convenient transportation of goods, and the timber industry was a major force in the city's early economy. At the turn of the 20th century, the city had a reputation as one of the most dangerous port cities in the world, a hub for organized crime and racketeering. After the city's economy experienced an industrial boom during World War II, its hard-edged reputation began to dissipate. Beginning in the 1960s, Portland became noted for its growing liberal and progressive political values, earning it a reputation as a bastion of counter-culture.

Jiayuguan, known as "the first male pass in the world", is located in the middle of the narrowest valley 5 kilometers west of Jiayuguan City, Gansu Province. the city walls on both sides of the pass cross the Gobi Desert, the suspended Great Wall of Montenegro in the north and the first pier in the south. it is the westernmost pass of the Ming Great Wall. it was once known as Hexi throat in history, because of its dangerous topography and majestic architecture, it is known as the chain key of the border. Jiayuguan is the traffic fortress of the ancient "Silk Road" and one of the three wonders of the Great Wall of China (Shanhaiguan in the east, Zhenbeitai in the middle and Jiayuguan in the west). Jiayuguan was built in the fifth year of Hongwu of the Ming Dynasty (1372). It is composed of inner city, outer city, Luocheng, Wengcheng, trench and the north and south wings of the Great Wall, with a total length of about 60 kilometers. The platform, pier and fortress of the Great Wall are dotted with three lines of defense, namely, the inner city, the outer city and the moat.
Travel Sights In Jiayuguan
Travel Notes In Jiayuguan