自古以來，甘肅就是中國(guó)重要的關(guān)隘。古人常說：“ 欲守關(guān)中，先固隴右?！?早在戰(zhàn)國(guó)時(shí)期，人們便開始在此地修筑長(zhǎng)城作為軍事防御。甘肅歷代所筑的長(zhǎng)城至少有五處，分別是戰(zhàn)國(guó)魏長(zhǎng)城、秦長(zhǎng)城、漢長(zhǎng)城、隋長(zhǎng)城和明長(zhǎng)城。其中秦、漢、明三代萬(wàn)里長(zhǎng)城的最西端都在甘肅境內(nèi)，總里程達(dá)4 000公里，占全國(guó)長(zhǎng)城總里程的四分之一。這些長(zhǎng)城依山隨勢(shì)，跨黃河，翻雪域，越沙漠，部分遺跡至今尚存，成為人文旅游的熱門“打卡地”。

Gansu has historically served as acrucial frontier of China. As the sayinggoes， “To defend Guanzhong1， one mustfirst secure Longyou2.” Since the WarringStates period， efforts to fortify Gansuhave been evident in the constructionof the Great Wall. Gansu is home to atleast five sections of the Great Wall： theWei Great Wall of the Warring States，the Qin Great Wall， the Han Great Wall，the Sui Great Wall， and the Ming GreatWall. Notably， the western ends of theQin， Han， and Ming Great Walls are alllocated in Gansu， collectively stretchingover 4，000 kilometers， which accountsfor a quarter of the total length of theGreat Wall in China. These fortificationsare ingeniously adapted to the naturallandscape， spanning the Yellow River，traversing snow-covered expanses， andnavigating deserts. Today， remnants ofthese walls still stand， attracting culturaltourism enthusiasts to explore theirhistoric significance.

戰(zhàn)國(guó)魏長(zhǎng)城

戰(zhàn)國(guó)魏長(zhǎng)城是我國(guó)最古老的長(zhǎng)城之一，位于今甘肅東部慶陽(yáng)市之正寧縣、寧縣、合水縣境內(nèi)，總長(zhǎng)約200公里，是戰(zhàn)國(guó)時(shí)期魏國(guó)在與秦國(guó)、戎接界處所筑的長(zhǎng)城。這些在《資治通鑒》等史書中均有記載。

The Wei Great Wall of the Warring States Periodis one of the oldest sections of the Great Wall inChina. Extending approximately 200 kilometersthrough present-day Zhengning County， NingCounty， and Heshui County of Qingyang City， thisdefensive barrier was erected by the State of Wei tosafeguard against the neighboring states of Qin andRong. Its construction was recorded in ancient textssuch as Zizhi Tongjian （Comprehensive Mirror to Aidin Government）.

秦長(zhǎng)城

1991年，紀(jì)錄片《望長(zhǎng)城》在央視熱播，秦長(zhǎng)城的起點(diǎn)—位于甘肅省臨洮縣三十里墩南坪村的殺王坡，赫然出現(xiàn)在畫面中。

In 1991， China Central Television aired thedocumentary Odyssey of the Great Wall， sparkingsignificant interest. Sha Wang Po， Where the QinGreat Wall begins， located in Nanping Village， LintaoCounty， Gansu Province， made its appearance.

秦長(zhǎng)城西起臨洮，東至遼東，如巨龍一般俯仰起伏，橫亙?cè)谇貢r(shí)歷史的峰巔。甘肅境內(nèi)的長(zhǎng)城修筑始于秦昭襄王時(shí)期（公元前325 ～ 前250年），比秦統(tǒng)一早了約半個(gè)世紀(jì)。整個(gè)秦長(zhǎng)城，穿越今甘肅、寧夏、陜西、內(nèi)蒙古四個(gè)省區(qū)的23個(gè)縣、旗，最后止于內(nèi)蒙古準(zhǔn)格爾旗黃河南岸的十二連城，全長(zhǎng)1 700 ～ 1 800 公里。

The Qin Great Wall， which resembles a colossaldragon as it stretches from Lintao in the west toLiaodong in the east， holds immense historicalsignificance in the Qin Dynasty. Construction ofthe Great Wall within Gansu Province began duringthe reign of King Zhaoxiang of Qin （325—250 BC），approximately half a century before the unificationof Qin. The entire Qin Great Wall spans 23 countiesand banners in four provinces and regions： Gansu，Ningxia， Shaanxi， and Inner Mongolia. It terminatesat the Shierliancheng on the southern bank of theYellow River in Jungar Banner， Inner Mongolia，covering a total distance of 1，700—1，800 kilometers.

公元前221年，嬴政稱皇帝，是為秦始皇。次年，他開始視察隴西、北地二郡，首先抵達(dá)隴西郡郡治狄道（今甘肅臨洮）。公元前215 ～ 前214年， 他派蒙恬兩次北擊匈奴，接著便開始修筑長(zhǎng)城，即人們所說的秦始皇長(zhǎng)城。

In 221 BC， Ying Zheng declared himself emperor，taking the title Qin Shi Huang. The following year， hebegan inspecting the two commanderies of Longxiand Beidi， initially arriving at Didao， the commanderyseat of Longxi （present-day Lintao， Gansu）. From 215to 214 BC， Qin Shi Huang dispatched his general，Meng Tian， on two expeditions northward againstthe Xiongnu before initiating the construction of theGreat Wall. This is commonly referred to as the GreatWall of Qin Shi Huang.

漢長(zhǎng)城

漢長(zhǎng)城始建于漢武帝元狩二年（公元前121年），止于太初四年（公元前101年），在甘肅境內(nèi)全長(zhǎng)1 400多公里。漢長(zhǎng)城由烽燧、塢障、方城等組成，用以瞭望敵情、屯兵和指揮作戰(zhàn)。今天所謂的陽(yáng)關(guān)遺址，關(guān)城已不存在，僅是當(dāng)年殘留的一座烽燧，而玉門關(guān)故址小方盤城則是玉門都尉的治所。此去向東20公里，有一座大方盤城，是漢代邊防的軍事物質(zhì)儲(chǔ)備基地。

The Han Great Wall， initiated in the second yearof Yuanshou （121 BC） and completed by the fourthyear of Taichu （101 BC） during the reign of EmperorWu of the Han Dynasty， spans over 1，400 kilometerswithin Gansu Province. Consisting of beacon towers，barricades， and square cities， it was constructed tomonitor enemy movements， station troops， andoversee military operations. Today， remnants ofYangguan Pass offer a glimpse of its former grandeur，marked by the presence of a beacon tower. Adjacentto this lies Xiao Fang Pan， historically known asYumen Pass， which served as the administrativecenter for the Yumen Commandery. Located 20kilometers further east is Da Fang Pan， serving as acrucial military supply base for Han border defense.

與漢長(zhǎng)城防御體系配套的還有沿途的眾多驛站，用于傳遞消息、迎來送往、儲(chǔ)運(yùn)給養(yǎng)。漢武帝驅(qū)逐匈奴，設(shè)立河西四郡，并從兩個(gè)方向修筑漢長(zhǎng)城。一條沿弱水（黑河）伸向居延，另一條從敦煌向羅布泊延伸，徹底消除了匈奴之患，開拓了疆土，保障了絲綢之路的暢通。

Integral to the Han Great Wall were numerousrelay stations， vital for communication， logisticalsupport， and troop mobilization. Following theexpulsion of the Xiongnu threat， Emperor Wuordered the establishment of four commanderies inthe Hexi region. The construction of the Han GreatWall from two fronts — one stretching along the EjinRiver （Black River） towards Juyan and the other fromDunhuang to Lop Nur — effectively neutralized theXiongnu threat， secured the territory， and facilitatedthe smooth operation of the Silk Road.

公元前121年，漢武帝派遣驃騎將軍霍去病兩次在河西反擊匈奴，隨即在先零羌的游牧地修筑了令居塞（在今永登）。西漢在河西走廊修筑長(zhǎng)城的大幕由此拉開。

In 121 BC， Emperor Wu dispatched GeneralHuo Qubing twice to confront the Xiongnu in Hexi.Soon after， construction of the Great Wall began inthe grazing lands of the Xianbei and Qiang peoplesin Lingju， which is now Yongdeng. This markedthe start of the grand project by the Western HanDynasty in the Hexi Corridor.

公元前111年，漢長(zhǎng)城從酒泉向西擴(kuò)展至玉門。公元前102年，在酒泉、張掖郡北部修筑了居延、休屠塞及長(zhǎng)城。次年，玉門的長(zhǎng)城又向西延伸至羅布泊。用以防御的烽燧遠(yuǎn)達(dá)中亞地區(qū)。如此，今天我們看到的漢長(zhǎng)城體系基本形成。

By 111 BC， the Han Great Wall had extendedwestward from Jiuquan to Yumen. In 102 BC，fortifications were erected at Juyan and Xiuchu，further expanding the Great Wall in the northernregions of Jiuquan and Zhangye commanderies.The following year， the Great Wall was extendedwestward from Yumen to Lop Nur， with defensivewatchtowers reaching into Central Asia. Thus， thefoundational structure of the Han Great Wall system，as we recognize it today， was established.

漢長(zhǎng)城遇大敵烽燧遞傳信息，日達(dá)千里而至長(zhǎng)安。它不僅發(fā)揮著重要的軍事防御作用，同時(shí)也為古絲綢之路的暢通提供了堅(jiān)實(shí)后盾。

The Han Great Wall facilitated the relay ofmessages via beacon fires， allowing communicationto reach Chang’an within a day’s journey. Beyond itsmilitary defense role， it also played a crucial part insupporting the operation of the ancient Silk Road.

隋長(zhǎng)城

據(jù)記載，為抵御突厥侵犯武威、天水、弘花（今慶陽(yáng)）等地，隋文帝下詔修筑長(zhǎng)城，長(zhǎng)城所經(jīng)之處包括遼寧、山西、陜西、內(nèi)蒙古、寧夏、甘肅等。隋修長(zhǎng)城雖次數(shù)多，征發(fā)勞力也很大，但每次僅“二旬（二十天）而罷”，大多是對(duì)原有長(zhǎng)城加以修繕，增筑、新修的部分很少。

Historical records show that， in response tothreats of invasion by the Turks in Wuwei， Tianshui，and Honghua （present-day Qingyang）， Emperor Wenof the Sui Dynasty issued decrees to fortify the GreatWall. Construction during the Sui Dynasty spannedvarious regions， including Liaoning， Shanxi， Shaanxi，Inner Mongolia， Ningxia， and Gansu. Despite theconsiderable times and labor involved， each projecttypically concluded within a span of “twentydays.” Primarily focused on maintenance， theseefforts mainly entailed repairing the existingstructure， with minimal new construction orexpansions.

明長(zhǎng)城

明長(zhǎng)城是明朝在北方修筑的軍事防御工程，亦稱“邊墻”。明長(zhǎng)城東起山海關(guān)，西至嘉峪關(guān)，全長(zhǎng)1.2萬(wàn)里，被人們稱為“萬(wàn)里長(zhǎng)城”，也最接近我們現(xiàn)在的長(zhǎng)城。

The Ming Great Wall， a military defenseproject constructed by the Ming Dynasty inthe northern regions， is commonly referred to as theborder wall. Stretching from Shanhai Pass in the eastto Jiayu Pass in the west， it spans a total length of12，000 li， earning the nickname “Ten-Thousand-MileLong Wall.” This segment of the Great Wall closelyresembles its modern counterpart.

甘肅境內(nèi)的明長(zhǎng)城全長(zhǎng)1 738.3公里，沿黃河穿蘭州而過，經(jīng)張掖、酒泉至嘉峪關(guān)止。

In Gansu Province， the Ming Great Wall extendsfor 1，738.3 kilometers， running alongside the YellowRiver， passing through Lanzhou， and continuingthrough Zhangye and Jiuquan until it reaches thecity of Jiayuguan Pass.

嘉峪關(guān)始筑于明太祖洪武五年（1372年），是明長(zhǎng)城最西端的第一個(gè)關(guān)隘。關(guān)城平面呈梯形，面積33 500余平方米，城墻總長(zhǎng)733米，高11.7 米。

Jiayuguan Pass， constructed in 1372 during thefifth year of the Hongwu Emperor’s reign in the MingDynasty， is the first pass at the western terminus ofthe Ming Great Wall. The pass layout is trapezoidal，covering an area of over 33，500 square meters， witha total wall length of 733 meters and a height of 11.7meters.

嘉峪關(guān)最初只是一座簡(jiǎn)陋的關(guān)城。明世宗嘉靖十八年（1539年），人們修筑了嘉峪關(guān)南北兩翼的長(zhǎng)城，給河西走廊徹底上了一把大鎖。至今，嘉峪關(guān)仍存有最完整的古代軍事防御體系，享有“天下第一關(guān)”的美譽(yù)。

Originally a rudimentary fortress， JiayuguanPass underwent significant development in 1539during the 18th year of Emperor Shizong’s Jiajingreign. This period saw the construction of the GreatWall on both the northern and southern perimetersof Jiayu Pass， effectively fortifying the Hexi Corridor.Today， Jiayuguan City boasts the most well-preservedancient defensive system， making it the “First PassUnder Heaven.”

范長(zhǎng)江在《中國(guó)的西北角》中說：“ 中國(guó)長(zhǎng)城只有秦隋明三代的工程為最大，但三代之中，又以明長(zhǎng)城為最長(zhǎng)，而防邊設(shè)備，亦最完備。”

In the book Northwest China， Fan Changjiangnoted， “Among the constructions of the ChineseGreat Wall， only those from the Qin， Sui， and Mingdynasties can be considered the greatest. However，among these three， it is the Ming Great Wall thatstands out as the longest and is equipped with themost comprehensive border defense.”

長(zhǎng)城作為中國(guó)古代的軍事防御工程，體現(xiàn)了古人的智慧和軍事策略，承載了人們保家衛(wèi)國(guó)、抵御外來侵略、為貿(mào)易保駕護(hù)航的希望，是中華文明永恒的歷史印跡。

As a military defense structure， the Great Wallepitomizes the wisdom and military strategies ofChinese ancestors. It symbolizes their aspirations tosafeguard their homes， repel foreign invasions， andsecure trade routes. It also leaves an indelible markon Chinese civilization.