Shanhai Pass

Welcome to Shanhai Pass, or 'Shanhaiguan' in Mandarin, a site of immense strategic and historical importance where the 'Great Wall meets the sea.' Located to the east of Beijing, this 'narrow passage' between the Bohai Sea and…

We begin at 'Laolongtou,' or the Old Dragon's Head, the starting point of the Great Wall on the eastern seaboard. This section is nicknamed the Old Dragon's Head because the wall here dips 22 meters into the Bohai Sea, resembling…

Heading north from the coast, we enter the 'Big Castle' or the ancient military city of Shanhai Pass. This was the headquarters for the 'commander of Shanhai Pass' and his troops. …

We now stand before the eastern gate of the big castle, the famous 'Zhendong Gate.' This is the 'most important and most fortified' gate in the entire pass, specifically because it faced the east—the direction from which the…

Leaving the plain behind, we head into the Yanshan Mountains to visit the 'Jiaoshan Great Wall.' This was the first mountain that the Great Wall climbed after leaving the sea, and from its peaks, the 'Shanhai Pass is in full…

We pause at a specific structure that exemplifies the early Ming defensive strategy: the 'Solid Watchtower.' Unlike the later hollow towers with multiple floors and living quarters, this watchtower has its 'entrance on the second…

We conclude our tour on the plains just outside the city walls, the site of the 'Battle of Shanhai Pass' in April 1644. It was here that 'three forces gathered' to decide the future of China: the Ming troops under Wu Sangui, the…

As we conclude our journey through the Shanhai Pass, we stand once again at the 'First Pass Under Heaven.' We have traveled from the 'Old Dragon's Head' where the wall meets the sea, through the 'square fortified city' with its…