First Pass under Heaven Laolongtou Temple of Meng Jiangnü
Chinese Name: 老龙头长城 ( lǎo lóng tóu cháng chéng)
Admission Fee: CNY 50 (adults); CNY 25 (children)
Opening Hours: 08:00 - 16:00
Best Traveling Time: April to October
Location: Laolongtou is located on the Bohai Sea coast, 4 kilometers (2.48 miles) south of Shanhaiguan Pass.
Introduction: As the easternmost end of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644) Great Wall, stretching 23 meters into the sea, Laolongtou was named in Chinese ‘the Head of the Old Dragon’. The dragon here stands for the popular ten-thousand-kilometer Great Wall, hence its name. It is also said that Laolongtou is the location from where the first Chinese Emperor Qinshihuang sent some of his people to Japan to find the elixir of immortality. It is the only section of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall that serves both as land and sea border defense. Since the territory on the northern side of the Great Wall was unified in the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911), Laolongtou was no longer used for military defense. It therefore became the most pleasant place for sightseeing and according to the historical records, was visited many times by Emperors Kangxi, Yongzheng, Qianlong, Jiaqing and Daoguang. In 1987, Laolongtou was opened to the public and went through 4 rehabilitation projects till 1992. With a history of more than 600 years, it is elected as a 4-star national tourist spot.
Laolongtou is mainly consists of the Estuary Stone City built by Qi Jiguang (a famous Ming Dynasty general), a maritime watchtower (Jinglutai), the South Sea Pass (also called Nanhaikou Pass) and a gate tower named Chenghailou. The Estuary Stone City was based on natural reefs and built with huge stones. Jinglutai, connecting the Stone City to the north, was made of granite bars. The South Sea Pass is the only coast pass of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall. It was Laolongtou’s control center during the war. Most notably the Chenghailou tower is 10 meters high (32.8 feet). It was repaired twice during the reigns of Emperors Qianlong and Kangxi. A stele with ‘雄襟万里' inscribed by the grand secretary Sui Chengzong, and the other of ‘澄海楼' by the Emperor Qianlong are hanging from the eaves of the tower.
Laolongtou Transportation: Take bus No.25, or No.35 from Qinhuangdao city to Laolongtou. Bus No. 35 is available from 06:40 to 18:30 all year round. Since Laolongtou is near to Shanhaiguan Pass, please read Shanhaiguan Pass Transportation as a reference.
Recommended travel itineraries:
1. Shanhaiguan Pass → Yansai Lake → Laolongtou → Beidaihe Pigeon’s Nest Park (1 day)
2. Lianfeng Mountain → Golden Coast → Beidaihe Beach Scenic Area (1 day)
Note: There are public buses running between the above tourist spots. Visitors can choose to rent a car instead. The price is about CNY 100 per day.
Travel Tips:
1. Various types of hotels and restaurants are numerous in Qinhuangdao city. It is recommended to stay in hotels within the Beidaihe District instead of the ones around tourist spots.
2. If traveling in summer, visitors had better avoid weekends because of the heavy traffic and higher hotel prices. Best visiting days are Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
