Continuing past Shanhai Guan, the Great Wall ends (or begins) at the "Old Dragon's Head" (Lǎo Lóngtóu, 老龙头), where it plunges into the Bohai Sea. The nickname comes from the image of the Great Wall as a dragon drinking from the sea. Unfortunately, while the Old Dragon's Head long survived the pounding waves, it didn't survive the pounding of British shells in 1900 during the Boxer Rebellion and was left in ruins. Looking down over the Old Dragon's Head is Chenghai Tower (Chénghǎi Lóu, 澄海楼), built during the reign of Ming Dynasty Emperor Longqing. The Old Dragon's Head was constructed afterwards during the reign of his son, the Emperor Wanli, in 1579. In the early 1980s, Old Dragon's Head was rebuilt by the sea shore. Today, the Chenhai Tower above it is covered with replica soldiers in Qing Dynasty costume. Hebei guide | Qinhu... more >>

Beidaihe is one of Qinhuangdao's scenic seaside resorts, situated around 300 km (186 mi.) east of Beijing on the Bohai Gulf. The resort was originally popularized by European diplomats, missionaries and businessmen around the turn of the century. Around half a century later, Chairman Mao had a visit and liked the place so much that he acquired a residence there. In subsequent years Beidaihe became very popular as a summer getaway location for Party fat cats who would often choose it as a destination for meetings and conferences.  Hu Jintao, in an effort to project an image of frugalness, put a stop to Party members using Beidaihe as a conferencing location in 2004.   These days most of Beidaihe's visitors are ordinary, fun-loving tourists, usually well-heeled Beijingers who only visit during the warmer months when the temperature is around the mid-20s and the water is w... more >>

Three and a half kilometers northwest of Shanhaiguan, lies the pretty—albeit under-appreciated—Yansai Lake (Yansai Hu). Qinhuangdao locals also call it the Stone River Reservoir (Shihe Shuiku). is now a scenic area that is not too popular but a pretty area where you can boat and fish. This scenic area quite new and was designed to have a balanced ecosystem, with well maintained grounds and facilities. The addition of a sightseeing cable car to this ecopark has put it well and truly on the tourist radar. So a trip to Yansai Lake is recommended soon, before hotels and vendors start popping up all over.   more >>

Shanhaiguan (literally the pass between the mountains and the sea), is a town at the northern tip of the Bohai Gulf. Originally built as a fortress in the Ming Dynasty, the town was an outpost to defend the eastern end of the Great Wall. This section of the wall still runs through the eastern part of the town, before winding south to the sea. The Eastern Gate (Zhengyuan Lou), a double storey, double roofed tower built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD) attracts the most tourist attention. The Great Wall Museum (Changchang Bowuguan, RMB15; open 6:30-18:30 in summer, 8:00-17:00 in winter) is next to the gate. It exhibits some interesting pictures, relics and clothes, depicting the life of this section of the wall. From the top of the wall you can see the crumbling wall as it zigzags on the mountain ridges northwards and as it winds south before plunging into the sea. The town i... more >>

The Mengjiangnu Temple (Meng Jiangnu Miao) was first built in the Song Dynasty (960-1279), and then reconstructed in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), to commemorate a courageous heroine. Legend has it Emperor Qin Shihuang, long considered China's cruelest rulers, sentenced a talented young man by the name of Wan Jiang to backbreaking work on the Great Wall (Changcheng) during one of his all-too-common hissy fits. Wan was sent to work on a stretch of the wall in its easternmost region, near to the seaside town of Shanhaiguan. Wan's wife, Lady Meng, concerned for her husband's wellbeing, travelled vast distances to bring her husband warm clothing for the winter. When she arrived, Lady Meng searched among the thousands of ailing workers for her husband and after many months still could not locate him. Heartbroken after such a long time of fruitless searching, Lady Meng began to cry. H... more >>