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. Heavenly beings, moved by Meng's dedication, caused a section of the Great Wall to fall away. Among crumbled ruins lay the bones of her dead husband, who had perished from exhaustion. Distraught at the sight of the her husband's remains, Lady Meng threw herself into the raging seas.

Legends aside, the temple has had a tumultuous history. The original statues inside survived until the Cultural Revolution (1966-76), when Red Guards destroyed everything. The Government later had them remade, in an approximate likeness during the late 1970s. The temple is not very large, but is elegantly constructed and has some good views of the mountains and sea. There are a number of sights in the vicinity, including a 108-step stairway, 108 being a Buddhist number representing the troubles that plague man, the Looking for Husband Rock, which has some interesting calligraphy, a Bell Pavilion, a Front Hall, a Back Hall and the Eye of the Sea, with some fantastic views.