Shāndān

Shandan lies in the Hexi Corridor beneath the Qilian Mountains. South of the town, the broad Damaying grasslands furnished pasture for one of the region's great horse-breeding grounds. The western end of the grassland opens toward the Dadou Pass, a route between the corridor and Qinghai. In the Ming period the official Yang Yiqing proposed rebuilding the fort and facilities at Damaying, recruiting soldiers to tend the horses. The grasslands were valuable both for raising mounts and for guarding the approaches to the frontier.