(221-207
BC), the first emperor of China pushing people into the sea right
here to find a drug that would give him immortality. Years later,
in 1570, this portion of the Great
Wall was constructed and in 1668 it was considerably enhanced.
Shanhaiguan
Pass is located 15 km from Qinhuangdao
(25-minute-drive away); it protects the strategic passage between
the north and northeast China; it was renovated and consolidated
several times because of its strategic importance. It is connected
with the Great Wall which stretches onto the rolling Yanshan Mountains
in the north and into the Bohai Sea in the south with fortresses
and battlements that form a strong and powerful defense system.
It was once considered the No.1 pass from the east end of the Great
Wall during the time of the Ming Dynasty. In spite of the fact
that archaeological work has proven that Tiger Mountain in Liaoning
province is the real start of the Great
Wall in the Ming Dynasty, Shanhaiguan
Pass is still a popular national tourist attraction.
The brick wall of the Pass is 14 metres high, 7 metres
wide, and 4 kilometres in circumference. The most imposing tower
in the Shanhaiguan
Pass is the east gate, on which is hanging a plaque, inscribed with
the name of the fortress, "First Pass Under Heaven". On the north
and south, there are another five gates with towers standing menacingly
like five tigers guarding the Pass. From the second floor of the
east gate, one can look down at the whole fortress and the entire
landscape surrounding this strategic Pass.
Tourists
always find the following 3 tourist attractions of interest: (1)
Shanhaiguan
Great
Wall Museum in the fortress (which has some interesting pictures,
relics and clothes depicting the life story of this snaking construction),
(2) a temple in the vicinity dedicated to Meng
Jiangnu, one of China's devoted heroines, and (3) the
next spectacular section of the Great
Wall meandering along the Jiaoshan
Mountain ridges.
Taveller's tip:
| a |
Entrance fee: Shanhaiguan RMB40/person (including
the Museum), Laolongtou
(Old Dragon's Head) RMB50/person, and Meng Jiangnu Temple
RMB25/person. |
| b |
Moving about is easy in this area: transportation
by either bus, mini-van, or taxi is available between sections.
Shanhaiguan
to Meng Jiangnu Temple is a 5-minute drive, almost the same
to Jiaoshan. Laolongtou
is a ten-minute drive. |
| c |
If you arrive at Shanhaiguan
in the afternoon and want to hike westward on the wall, we
suggest you first visit Laolongtou
(where the Wall meet the sea), secondly visit the museum,
and lastly visit the Shanhaiguan Pass. Leave the Jiaoshan
Great Wall for the second day. |
| d |
Because this pass is a tourist site, the reader should realize that food and accommodation is comparatively more expensive here than in Qinhuangdao City. |
|
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