Shanhaiguan

Introduction

Shanhai Pass is the fortified gateway at the eastern end of the Great Wall of China, and one of its most crucial fortifications. It stands where the Liaoxi Corridor narrows to its tightest point, an elongated coastal plain squeezed between the foothills of the Yan Mountains and the Bohai Sea. That plain is the only easily traversable land route between North and Northeast China, which is what gives the pass its strategic weight.

You'll find it in Shanhaiguan District of Qinhuangdao, Hebei, on the east bank of the Shi River. The defensive walls run from the Yan Mountains down to the shores of Liaodong Bay, so the setting pairs mountain foothills with open water.

Before you go

Qinhuangdao is a coastal city on the Bohai Sea in northeastern Hebei Province, and the way you plan your trip depends on which part of it you mean to see. For travel purposes the city divides into four areas: Beidaihe, a seaside resort district known for its beaches and seasonal tourism; Nandaihe, a coastal resort area south of Beidaihe in Changli County, known for beaches and a cool arts scene; Haigang, the main urban and port district generally considered Qinhuangdao proper; and Shanhaiguan, the historic eastern terminus of the Great Wall and a preserved fortified town.

Decide before you go whether you are coming for the coast or for the wall. Beidaihe and Nandaihe are resort areas whose appeal is tied to the season, so plan around warm-weather beach time if the shore is your priority. If the Great Wall is the draw, base yourself in Shanhaiguan, where the fortified town and the wall's eastern end sit together. Haigang, the urban and port district, is the practical city base. Distances between these areas mean you should pick one as your centre rather than trying to cover them all from a single spot.

Getting there

Most travellers reach Shanhaiguan through Qinhuangdao, the city it belongs to. Qinhuangdao Beidaihe Airport (BPE) handles a small number of daily domestic flights, including to Qingdao, Shijiazhuang and Shanghai; airline websites are in Chinese only, so it is easiest to ask staff at your accommodation to book a ticket for you. Tianjin (TSN) and Beijing Capital (PEK) are the other nearby airports, with inter-provincial buses and trains connecting them onward to Qinhuangdao.

By rail, the fastest options are the 'D' and 'Dong' trains, which cover the run from Beijing or Tianjin in about two hours; slower 'T', 'K' and numbered trains also pass through daily but take considerably longer. Long-distance buses are frequent, and depart from a central station near the main train station in the Haiguan area of the city. There is also a direct bus from Beijing Capital International Airport to Qinhuangdao, with tickets bought at the airport bus station; allow roughly four hours depending on traffic.

Getting around

Qinhuangdao is small by Chinese standards, but it sprawls in a linear fashion along the coast from Shanhaiguan through to Beidaihe, so buses and taxis are necessary rather than optional. Within the historic core around the pass, walking works well: the fortification is built as a square with a perimeter of roughly four kilometres, and the surviving Zhendong Gate and surrounding walls are best explored on foot. Beyond the heritage site, walking between districts is not realistic for most visitors.

• Taxi: Inexpensive and abundant, and the preferred means of transport for most travellers. Most drivers cannot speak English but many can read Chinese, so have someone write your destination in Chinese on a card to show the driver, and ideally carry a phone number for your destination or for a Chinese-speaking contact. Drivers are generally honest and use the meter, but those around railway stations tend to refuse it and quote inflated prices — consider walking a short distance from the station before hailing one.
• Bus: A good low-cost option and often the practical choice for longer hops along the coast. City maps showing bus routes are available from kiosks near the central bus and train stations. Buses are always crowded because of the low fares, and occasional pickpockets make it essential to protect your belongings.
• Metro and trams: No metro or tram network serves Shanhaiguan or Qinhuangdao, so plan around rail, long-distance bus, city bus and taxi rather than expecting urban rapid transit.

Where to stay

Check other sections of this guide, or local listings, for options in and around the city.

Food & drink

Qinhuangdao has a growing cluster of Western-style dining spots alongside its local seafood. For pizza, Pu Shi on Zhengyang Street in Taiyangcheng is a local favourite, with handmade crusts and ample toppings in the Chicago style; you can dine in, take out or have it delivered, and the private rooms come with personal flat screens and a piano bar. Vietnamese food is the specialty of Vietnam Youyou Cafe near Sidaoqiao, where the Vietnamese owner speaks English, the decor is refined and live music plays. If you want steak, Butterfly sits next to People's Square in the heart of the entertainment district, serving quality cuts and plump steaks with a full bar of spirits, wines and imported beers. For a weekend brunch, head to the Haitianyise Hotel restaurant among the rocks overlooking the ocean, where the seafood buffet is fresh and includes sides and drinks, alcohol included, with the waves rolling in as you eat.

• Pu Shi – Chicago-style pizza, dine-in, takeaway or delivery
• Vietnam Youyou Cafe – Vietnamese fare, live music, English-speaking owner
• Butterfly – steaks and a well-stocked bar near People's Square
• Haitianyise Hotel – seaside weekend seafood buffet

For drinks, the beach at Anaya in Changli County is the focus. Bar Lotus is a coffee shop by day and a bar by night, with indoor and outdoor seats and free massage services on Friday nights. Thirteen Invitations Bistro in the Aranya cultural and creative district serves whisky, classic cocktails, wine and light food in a small book-and-bar-themed interior. The naive space combines books, coffee and cocktails, with a café open in the daytime and a bar in the evening, plus hostel accommodation if you want to stay.

What to see and do

Shanhaiguan is where the Great Wall meets the sea, and it anchors most of what you'll want to see. At Old Dragon Head, the wall juts out into the water; the original structure is long gone, but an extensive rebuilt section stands in its place, with several rebuilt halls in the walled area. Inland, Shanhaiguan Pass — the "First Pass under Heaven" — marks where the Ming dynasty Great Wall began, its restored east gate straddling the main road through the pass; depending on your ticket you can view exhibitions or walk along the city walls. The old city walls themselves were built as a fortification guarding the pass between mountains and sea, square in plan with a moat and drawbridges on three sides; you can only climb them with a First Pass ticket, and the other gates are rebuilt replacements. The Great Wall Museum, reached by walking north along the eastern wall from the southeastern gate, is worth an hour. Further north, Five Buddha Park at Jiao Shan shows the wall snaking over the hills: the lower stretch was restored in the 1980s and you can climb about two-thirds of the way before a concrete barrier blocks the unrestored section, while a walkway or chairlift leads to a temple further back, from which you can reach the rear wall of raw stone. On the road out to Jiao Shan you'll pass a completely unrestored earth wall on the right, where locals herd sheep and walk dogs; paths lead up it, and walking it is more pleasant than following the road.

Haigang holds the main harbor district and several coastal attractions, including the Park of Shrine of Emperor's Quest, a seaside park commemorating the legend of Qin Shi Huang's search for immortality, with statues, reconstructed pavilions and viewpoints, and Laodao Ocean Park, where sea lions, dolphins and beluga perform and a polar hall displays bears and penguins. Beidaihe is the city's resort district, known for its beaches and holiday infrastructure; camping is permitted in designated beach areas, including the stretch signed "Happy Gulf". Near the Beidaihe Scenic Area, Qinhuangdao Wildlife Park is a large free-range park with tigers, lions, giraffes and pandas, seen by sightseeing vehicle or on foot through designated zones. South along the Changli County coast, Nandaihe offers long beaches and holiday facilities, and the sandy peninsula of Emerald Isle is used for beach recreation and nature visits. In the Aranya community, the UCCA Dune Art Museum is embedded in the coastal dunes, and the Aranya Theater Festival each June brings together theater, music, dance and architecture across professional theaters, public spaces and temporary seaside venues.

Three days in Shanhaiguan

Day one: Start at Shanhai Pass, the fortified gate where the Great Wall meets the coast at the Bohai Sea. Walk the wall itself and take in how the fortifications sit between the Yan Mountains and the sea, the geography that gives the Liaoxi Corridor its strategic weight. Stay in Shanhaiguan District for the evening.

Day two: Continue exploring the Great Wall around Shanhaiguan, then follow the Shi River through the district. If you want a change of scene, head toward Qinhuangdao and its coastal districts, Haigang and Beidaihe, or the beaches at Nandaihe and Changli County further along the coast.

Day three: Use the day to reach the wider region. Qinhuangdao Beidaihe Airport (BPE) and Qinhuangdao's rail links put Beijing Capital (PEK), Tianjin (TSN), Shijiazhuang, Qingdao and Shanghai within reach, while the overland route runs through the Liaoxi Corridor into Northeast China. Decide how far you want to go before you set out.