- Location: Qinhuangdao City, Hebei Province

Shanhaiguan (萬里長城－山海關(guān)) is a sleepy port town situated on the northern coast of the Bohai Gulf, in the shadows of the Shanhai Pass section of the Great Wall of China. About 15 kilometers from Qinhuangdao City, this town gets its name from being nearby Yanshan Mountains and the Bohai Sea (“Shanhai” is literally “mountain and 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 military strategists for hundreds of years. It is also considered to be the number one 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 shadows of the pass.

Travel Tips:

- Hours: 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.

- Admission: 40 yuan (Shanhaiguan); 50 yuan (Laolongtou)

- Tel: +86-335-5051957

- How to get 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.

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