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.

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