Dunhuang occupies a section of the Great Wall of the Han Dynasty. During the period of West Han Dynasty (202 B.C.-9 A.D.) and East Han Dynasty (25-220), Hun people were the main threat from the northern frontier. In order to fight against Hun, Han Dynasty constructed the Great Wall of the Han Dynasty. Along the Gansu Corridor, there is a section from Yumenguan Pass to Luobu Po of Xinjiang Ugyur Autonomous Region. Altogether Han Wudi had built a thousand kilometers (621 miles) of defense wall over twenty years to secure the passage to the Western Region. The Huns power later was in decline and consequently less wall-building activity came about this side of the border. Afterwards in-fighting divided the Huns into the North and South. The North Huns were driven off by Han. The more friendly South Huns co-existed with the Han Dynasty and there was no need to build more walls.
The Great Wall of the Han Dynasty is not that new comparing with Great Wall of Ming Dynasty. The long history has caused big and small damages to the Wall. Along the Great Wall, desolated desert and Gobi give people a beauty of vermilion. It is a place for memorizing the past. Wartime and peace are all elements of the memory.