Jiayuguan — Echo of the Exiles
Uncover the lost verses of a poet exiled beyond the Great Wall. Decode echoes hidden in fortress walls to reclaim his forbidden Silk Road secrets before they vanish forever.
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
In 1372, as the Ming Dynasty fortified Jiayuguan Pass—the 'First Pass Under Heaven'—at the Great Wall's western edge, countless exiles were banished through its gates into the endless Gobi Desert
Jiayuguan — Echo of the Exiles
You are an Imperial Scribe of the Ming Dynasty, tasked with documenting banishments and strategic defenses across the Hexi Corridor.
Your mission takes you to Jiayuguan, a critical point of
Delve into the echo of exiles and garrisons that shaped the 'First Pass Under Heaven' of the Great Wall at Jiayuguan.
The story that haunts this land
Your journey begins at Jiayuguan Fort Square, the historical starting point where exiles were administratively processed before their banishment westward. This public space, designed for pedestrian access, witnessed many scenes of separation during the Ming Dynasty. As an imperial scribe, you collect the initial records here, imagining the convoys of political prisoners and convicts who crossed this threshold, marking their severance from imperial China.
Continue to Jiayuguan Fort itself, built in 1372 under the command of Emperor Hongwu, founder of the Ming Dynasty. Nicknamed the 'First Pass Under Heaven,' this strategic monument in Gansu was the western gateway of the Great Wall. Its imposing ramparts, watchtowers, and fortified gates, still visible, attest to Ming military engineering. By deciphering the carved symbols, you understand the fort's role not only as a defense but also as the ultimate bastion of Chinese civilization before the desert.
The route then takes you to the Great Wall Museum, an official museum documenting the defensive history of Jiayuguan Pass and the Great Wall in the Hexi Corridor. Through Ming artifacts and historical documents, you deepen your understanding of the frontier garrisons and exiles. This site is a key landmark for contextualizing banishments, revealing the political motivations and broken lives shaped by imperial decisions in this Gansu region.
The exploration extends to the Overhanging Great Wall, built in 1539 during Emperor Jiajing's reign on the eastern slope of Heishan Mountain, 7 km from Jiayuguan city. This section, dubbed 'the Badaling of the West,' is a Ming architectural feat, climbing a 45-degree slope for 150 meters. Made of local gravel and yellow earth, it includes crucial observation posts. As a scribe, you analyze potential weaknesses and necessary reinforcements, imagining invasion attempts through the Heishan canyon and Jiayuguan's defensive strategy.
Your quest concludes by returning to the fort's surroundings, where the collected data gains full meaning. The Jiayuguan Pass Heritage Site, recognized by UNESCO Silk Road in 2014, is a powerful testament to human perseverance and imperial grandeur. This thematic circuit in Jiayuguan, a true GPS treasure hunt, will have allowed you to grasp the scale of the Ming Dynasty's logistical and human challenges. You carry with you the history of these exiled souls and the grandeur of a monument that has defied centuries, an interactive visit that will remain etched in your memory.
A game, a guided tour and a heritage guide — all in one
You're not just buying an escape game. You're carrying a living guide — historical anecdotes, forgotten legends, key monuments, hidden architecture — unfolding as you go.
At each stop, places ordinary guides miss — secret façades, sculpted crests, alleys steeped in history.
Every riddle is rooted in a real historical fact or local legend. You leave with dozens of stories to tell.
Learn to read buildings — flamboyant Gothic, Baroque, Art Deco — like a real art historian, while having fun.
Walk through the city like a novel's character — every alley becomes a stage, every square a theatre.
A voice walks with you at every step, tells the story of each place, reads clues, adds a cinematic feel.
Keep access to the guide & game for 1 year. Come back any time, share it with friends.
« You will not leave this city the way you entered it. »
How does it work?
Explore the city on foot solving puzzles based on real historical facts. No locked room — the city is your playground.
No app to download. Play directly from your browser. Guided step by step, at your own pace.
One purchase per phone is enough. Play with family, friends or as a couple — everyone participates.
Point your phone at the façade: a historical character appears and speaks to you in your language. Golden letters magically write themselves on the wall to reveal the puzzle answer.
Stuck? Progressive personalised hints. The character repeats the puzzle on demand — at your own pace.
French, English, German, Spanish, Italian + 27 other languages auto-translated by AI.
Want to go deeper?
Places tied to your adventure — optional entries, totally up to you · per person
The Route
8 stages through the city
The gameplay: AR, camera, hidden clues
At each stop, open your phone camera: an augmented reality character appears on the façade and speaks your language. Hunt the clue — it materializes as golden letters on the real wall or floats in front of you. When you find it, the phone vibrates, an AR chest opens and reveals your answer fragment. 8 stops, 8 clues to find with the camera, 1 final code.
The stops on your route are a surprise. You'll discover them one by one, guided by your phone, starting from the meeting point.
How does it work with a group?
One phone = one team. Pick the number at checkout (1 to 10).
Solo, or a group sharing the screen. One team, one code.
Family, couple, or 2-3 teams competing. Each phone has its own code and its own score.
Friends, bachelor/bachelorette, small office outing — each their own code, each plays at their own pace. Tiered pricing then €6 flat per phone from the 6th.
- ✓All codes are independent — play at the same time OR separately, each team advances at its own pace.
- ✓Leaderboard between your teams + global game leaderboard — each score appears in the public ranking.
- ✓More than 10 phones or need a personalized quest? Discover custom tours.
Ready to live this adventure?
Get my code · 12€No calendar booking. Code sent immediately by email.
🔒 Secure payment · Code in 5 min · Free cancellation
Practical info
Why this route?
Poetry of Exile
Gather the lost verses of a banished poet, beyond the walls of civilization.
Epic Landscapes
Journey through the desert and mountainous expanses that inspired and isolated the banished.
Spiritual Quest
Uncover the timeless message of a man who found wisdom in adversity.
The words of the banished are the eternal whispers of history.
Retrace the journey of a banished poet and discover his lost masterpiece.
9 features nobody else has
OddballTrip combines gamified play, augmented reality and AI. All our competitors deliver 1 or 2 of these angles. We deliver all 5.
AR treasure chest
A golden chest floats in front of the monument. Tap → opening animation → reveals a secret message.
AR narrator character
Point your phone at the façade: a knight, witch, monk, sailor, detective or ghost appears full-screen and speaks to you in your language with their dedicated ElevenLabs voice (each character has their own unique voice) — your living guide.
Magic golden letters
At the puzzle climax, golden letters magically write themselves on the real wall — that's the puzzle answer. An unforgettable visual effect.
Written + audio narration
Every puzzle available as text AND voice-over: read at your own pace or listen eyes-free while walking. Great in groups and for accessibility.
360° radar + vibration
A mini-radar shows the target even behind you, and the phone vibrates when you aim in the right direction.
Heritage storytelling
Every puzzle weaves in real historical facts (architecture, era, anecdotes). You learn by playing — like a gamified audioguide.
Progressive AI hints
3 levels of AI-generated help: vibe → where to look → answer format. You're never stuck.
AR selfie memento
At the end of the game, capture a selfie with OddballTrip banner + mascot, shareable on Instagram, TikTok.
Zero app to install
PWA technology: open the link, it plays in your browser. Same quality as an app, no App Store hassle.
Frequently asked questions
Q01Do I need to download an app?
No, never. You get a link, you click, it plays in your browser. That's the point of a PWA: same as an app, without the hassle.
Q02Does it work offline?
GPS yes (handled by your phone). Maps yes (tiles cached). AI and hints need an intermittent 4G connection.
Q03How long does a game take?
1 h 30 to 2 h 30 depending on your pace. The timer runs but only for the leaderboard — you play at your own tempo.
Q04What happens if I'm stuck?
You get 3 levels of hints per puzzle (increasing penalty). If truly stuck, you can skip the step (45-min penalty but you keep going).
Q05What's the age range?
From 12 without an adult, from 6 with an adult reading puzzles. Works for families, couples, friend groups, companies.
Q06What if my city isn't in the catalogue?
Pre-register or contact us — we'll email you as soon as your city is live.
Q07What is augmented reality exactly?
Point your phone at the façade: a historical character appears full-screen and speaks to you in your language. At the puzzle climax, golden letters magically write themselves on the real wall — that's your answer. After each puzzle solved, a treasure chest floats in front of you. Seeing is believing.
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Your turn to play
Delve into the echo of exiles and garrisons that shaped the 'First Pass Under Heaven' of the Great Wall at Jiayuguan.
1 purchase = 1 phone. Play several on the same device.
No calendar booking. Code sent immediately by email.
🔒Secure payment · Code in 5 min · Free cancellation
🪙+24 TripCoins granted with your booking
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