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Shanhaiguan- 山海關

Shanhaiguan Pass is known as "the First Pass under Heaven". [Photo / China.org.cn]

Shanhaiguan is a sleepy port town situated on the northern coast of the Bohai Gulf, in the shadows of Shanhai Pass of the Great Wall of China. About 15 kilometers from Qinhuangdao City, this town pulls its name from the nearby Yanshan Mountains and the Bohai Sea.

Built in 583, Shanhaiguan pass was renovated throughout various dynasties until Ming Dynasty rulers transformed it into a formidable military stronghold. Acting as the strategic passage between the north and northeastern parts of China, the fortress at Shanhaiguan has been the bone of contention for strategists for hundreds of years. It is also considered to be the No.1 pass of the Great Wall and the key in the defense of two ancient capitals, Beijing to the east and Chang'an, now Xi'an, in the west. Shanhaiguan Pass is a national tourist attraction and the first strategic pass along the eastern portion of the Great Wall.

Shanhaiguan Pass consists of a main castle, two supporting castles: one in the north and one in the south and two semicircular protective walls that ring the main battlements. The towns of Weiyuan and Ninghai are located in the pass's shadows.

Travel Tips:

Admission:

Shanhaiguan: 40 yuan

Laolongtou: 50 yuan

Tel: +86-335-5051957

Getting There: By Bus: One can take bus No.25 or 33 from Sidaoqiao Bus Station, or take No. 13, 23, 24 or 26 buses from railway station, Qinhuangdao City.