Shanhaiguan + Laolongtou

🌊 Laolongtou: The Military Marvel Where the Great Wall Meets the Sea As the true eastern starting point of the Ming Great Wall, every stone here holds a story! ▫️ Stone City Entering the Sea: The only maritime section of the Great Wall, the "Dragon's Head" plunging into the Bohai Sea is truly breathtaking! Ming dynasty craftsmen used the technique of "rammed earth foundation, stone ribs, and molten iron to solidify seams" to build a 23-meter-long stone city in the tides. Each granite stone weighs several tons, and the bricks are inscribed with "Supervised by Qi Jiguang in the tenth year of Wanli." What you see today is a restoration from the 1980s based on ancient blueprints. Touching the stones, you can feel the weight of history~ ▫️ Chenghailou: The "First Tower of the Great Wall" lives up to its name! A three-story brick and wood structure with green glazed tiles, the plaque with Qianlong Emperor’s calligraphy "Chenghailou" is very imposing. The view from the top is amazing: watch the sunrise over the Bohai Sea to the east (best from 5:30-6:00 in summer, 6:30-7:00 in winter), and see the Yanshan Great Wall to the west. The sound of waves crashing on the rocks below echoes history. Inside the tower are Xu Wei’s poetry inscriptions and Ming dynasty coastal defense maps, full of cultural vibes~ ▫️ Bagua Formation: The real-life Ming dynasty military maze! A 1,000㎡ labyrinth designed according to the Eight Trigrams of the I Ching, with eight secret gates representing rest, life, injury, death, shock, open, scenery, and stop, full of hidden mysteries. It’s super fun to challenge your kids to find the "life gate." Remember to wear comfortable shoes and protect yourself from the sun in summer~ ▫️ Ninghaicheng: Laolongtou’s "logistics base"! Inside the rectangular city, the Longwu Camp, granary, and Guan Di Temple have been restored. You can see Ming dynasty armor, weapons, and wooden horses used for training. There are regular "Qi Family Army Training" performances. Wearing armor for photos is a great experience, and you can also try the ancient well pulley to draw water! 🏯 Shanhaiguan: The majestic "First Pass Under Heaven" "The unrivaled key to the two capitals, the first pass of the Great Wall stretching thousands of miles" refers to this place! ▫️ First Pass Under Heaven Gate Tower: The soul landmark of Shanhaiguan! A 13.7-meter-high building with a double-eaved Xieshan roof, featuring three round arrow slits on the front and four square arrow slits on each side, fully designed for military defense. From the tower, you can overlook: to the east, the North China Plain; to the west, the ancient city; to the north, the Yanshan Great Wall; and to the south, the Bohai Bay. You instantly understand the power of "one man guards the pass." The military exhibition inside shows red-coated cannons and falconet guns. The plaque exhibition tells the legend of the inscription "First Pass Under Heaven" by Xiao Xian, with the original kept in the museum, extremely precious~ ▫️ Shanhaiguan Ancient City: A living fossil of Ming and Qing urban life! Covering 1.5 square kilometers with a grid layout, the cross streets run east-west and north-south, and the Ming and Qing buildings with blue tiles and bricks create a strong atmospheric vibe~ ✅ Military Division Office: The Ming dynasty "military district headquarters," with the three-courtyard Zhenwu Hall and east and west wing rooms restored to military office scenes. It houses the "Shanhaiguan Defense Deployment Map" from the Wanli era, a treasure for those studying Great Wall defenses—don’t miss it~ ✅ Bell and Drum Tower: The highest point of the ancient city! The 18-meter-high tower has four gates named "Welcoming the Dawn," "Facing the Capital," "Connecting the Sea," and "Viewing the Mountains." Climbing the tower offers a panoramic view of the ancient city. The Ming dynasty bell and drum on the second floor were used for timekeeping and alarms. The exhibition hall’s old photos show the city’s changes over time.