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| Shanhaiguan Pass |
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Shanhaiguan is a small, now sleepy town and a port off the northern
section of the Bohai gulf. The town was originally built to protect
the most easterly section of the Great Wall (Changcheng), that still
runs through the eastern city walls, before winding south to the sea.
It is the Eastern Gate (Zhengyuan lou), a double storey, double roofed
tower that was built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), that attracts
most visitors. The calligraphy on this gate that reads "The First
Pass Under Heaven" (Tianxia diyiguan), is attributed to the Ming
calligraphist Xiaoxian, and gives the building its other name.
Just near to the gate is the interesting Great Wall Museum (Changchang
bowuguan, RMB15; open hour 6:30-18:30 for summer, 8:00-17:00 for
winter), that has some interesting pictures, relics and clothes,
depicting the life history of this snaking construction. From the
top of the wall itself here, you can see the decaying wall as it
zigzags on the mountain ridges northwards, and as it winds south
towards the sea. The town itself, most of it walled in by fortifications,
can be covered easily in a day, and is of quaint charm.
It is out of the town that most of the popular sights are to be
found. These include the Old Dragon Head, where the Great Wall finally
hits the sea, the Mengjiangnu Temple, dedicated to one of China's
devoted heroines, and the overdone Longevity Mountain, at whose
foot lies Yansai Lake. Most of these can be reached by bike, motor-rickshaw
or on foot from the town. |
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