Qinhuangdao >> Shanhaiguan

Attraction Typ: Historic Site

Location: about 20 km from city

Recommend: 4 Star

Shanhaiguan

Shanhaiguan is a stately and magnificent pass of the Great Wall.

Shanhaiguan (Chinese:山海关; pinyin: Shānhǎiguān) is one of the major passes of the Great Wall of China along with Jiayuguan and Juyongguan. It got its name for it is beside Mount Yan in the north and faces Bohai Sea in the south, and it has been nicknamed as the "Old Dragon's Head".

Shanhaiguan, just 15 kilometers northeast to Qinghuangdao City, is the east end of the Ming Great Wall and an important strategic pass of Jizhen Town Great Wall of the Ming Dynasty. As a strategic point, it has been contended by military forces in history and thus earns the reputation described in the following lines “There is no other place in the world to be the key of two capitals and it is the No.l pass of the Ten-thousand-1i Great Wall."

Shanhaiguan was built under the supervision of Xu Da, going for a stately and magnificent pass. The pass town is a rectangular one, with a perimeter of over 4 kilometers. There are gates in the east , west , south and north of the pass town , respectively named as " Zhendongmen Gate " , " Ying'enmen Gate " , "Wangyuanmen Gate " and " Weiyuanmen Gate."

On the top of the east gate standing the Zhendonglou Building, which is renowned as "the No.1 Pass Under Heaven" Gate Tower, enjoys the greatest reputation as the symbol of Shanhaiguan. Climbing the gate tower, one can enjoy the beauty of the scenery inside and outside the Great Wall, leaving his glorious footmarks here. Around the tower are platforms filled with crenels. The whole architecture of the Shanhaiguan is very splendid.

Shanhaiguan is at the shore of a sea and by the side of a mountain, which has made it a military town in history.