Shanhai Pass the First Pass under Heaven
Shanhai Pass, 17 kilometers from the tourist city of Qinhuangdao, got its name from being situated between the Yanshan Mountains and the Bohai Sea. On the tower is a big board on which there are five huge Chinese characters ‘tian xia di yi guan’ (the First Pass under Heaven) inscribed by a calligrapher in the Ming Dynasty.
Shanhai Pass,built in 583, it was renovated throughout various dynasties until it was transformed into a formidable military stronghold during the Ming Dynasty. As the strategic passage between the north and northeast China, this pass has been a bone of contention for military strategists since the ancient times. It is also considered the No.1 pass of the Great Wall and the key to the defense of two ancient capitals – Beijing in the east and Chang’an (Xian) in the west. Shanhai Pass is a national tourist attraction and the first strategic pass at the eastern end of the Great Wall.
Shanhaiguan Pass consists of a main castle, two supporting castles respectively in the north and south, and two semicircular protective walls in front of the main castle, the town of Weiyuan and the town of Ninghai. The brick wall of the pass, stuffed with earth, is 14 meters high, 7 meters wide and 4 kilometers in circumference. 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 parts and battlements that form a strong and powerful defensive system. On the east gate of the city wall stands a tower hung with a horizontal inscribed board reading: “The First Pass Uner the Heaven.”
Beyond the Shanhaiguan Pass, the Great Wall stretches eastward until it dips into the sea at a place called Laolongtou (Old Dragon’s Head). Tourist attractions in the vicinity include the Jiaoshan Section which has the Great Wall meandering along the mountain ridges, Shanhaiguan Great Wall Museum which has some interesting pictures, relics and clothes depicting the life story of this snaking construction, and a temple dedicated to Meng Jiangnu, one of China’s devoted heroines.
Two nearby places of interest to include in your visit to Shanhaiguan are: Laolongtou (Old Dragon’s Head), and Temple of Mengjiangnu.
Ticket: CNY 40 (May to Oct.) CNY 35 (Nov. to the next Apr.)
Bus Route:Bus No.25 (get off at Shanhaiguan Pass Station)
