Dating back to 1381 AD, Shanhaiguan is located in Hebei Province and boasts the Shanhai Pass which is one of the main passes of the Great Wall. It became a First Class National Cultural site in 1961.
Placed at the wall’s eastern end, it features well-preserved city walls that are seven meters thick and 14 meters high forming a square of four kilometers in perimeter thus making it a noticeable tourist attraction. The north, south, and east sides are enclosed by a deep, wide moat, with drawbridges spanning the moat, and in the center of the pass stands a lofty bell tower.
All four sides of the Shanhai Pass used to have a gate, Weiyuan (north), Wangyang (south), Zhendong (east) and Ying’en (west); however, due to poor condition over the centuries, just the Zhendong gate, also named ‘First Pass under Heaven’, still remains today. This is the most significant gate of the pass thanks to its position facing outside Shanhaiguan. The point where the wall extends into the Bohai Sea in the Pacific Ocean has also been given the moniker ‘Old Dragon’s Head’ and is another tourist draw.
Getting There & Away
Qinhuangdao Shanhaiguan Airport lies around 13kms from downtown and serves infrequent flights from Shanghai, Dalian, Changchun, Harbin, Taiyuan and Shijiazhuang. Trains running from north-eastern cities pass through Shanhaiguan en route to several southern destinations; however, Qinhuangdao is better connected with Beijing (3 hours). Buses depart from Beijing to Qinhuangdao twice a day.
Things to Do
Shanhaiguan Attractions
- 1 - Shanhai Pass
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This is one of the key passes of the great wall and features an
imposing gate dating from the Ming Dynasty.