Sights in Shānhǎiguān
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Old Dragon Head
The mythic origin/conclusion of the Great Wall at the sea's edge, Old Dragon Head is 4km south of Shānhǎiguān. What you see now was reconstructed in the late 1980s – the original wall crumbled away long ago. The name derives from the le- gendary carved dragon head that once faced the waves; as attractions go, it's essentially a lot more hype than history. Buses 25 and 21 (Y1) go to Old Dragon Head from Shānhǎiguān's South Gate.
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First Pass Under Heaven
A restored section of wall studded with watchtowers and tourist paraphernalia, the First Pass Under Heaven is also called East Gate (东门; Dōng Mén). The 12m-high wall's principal watchtower – two storeys with double eaves and 68 arrow-slit windows – is a towering 13.7m high.
The calligraphy at the top (attributed to the scholar Xiao Xian) reads 'First Pass Under Heaven'. Several other watchtowers can also be seen and a wèngchéng (enceinte) extends out east from the wall. To the north, decayed sections of battlements trail off into the hills; to the south you can walk to the ramp just east of the South Gate.
The ticket also includes admission to the vaguely intere…
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Jiǎo Shān
An excellent hike up the Great Wall's first high peak, Jiǎo Shān affords a telling vantage point over the narrow tongue of land below and one-time invasion route for northern armies. For something more adventurous, follow the wall's unrestored section indef- initely past the watchtowers or hike over to the secluded Qīxián Monastery
Jiǎo Shān is a 3km bike ride north of town or a half-hour walk from the north gate; otherwise take a sānlúnchē (Y10). It's a steep 20-minute clamber from the base, or a cable car can yank you up for Y20.
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Great Wall Museum
Recently rebuilt and expanded into a geometric block of grey stone, this museum provides a resourceful introduction to the Great Wall.
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Mèngjiāngnǚ Temple
A well-known Song-Ming reconstruction, Mèngjiāngnǚ Temple is 6km east of Shānhǎiguān. A taxi here should cost around Y12.
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Wang Family Courtyard House
Wang Family Courtyard House is a large, historic hútòng -style residence faced by a spirit wall.
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Shānhǎiguān Other Sights
The wall attached to North Gate has been partially restored. The city gates once had circular enceintes attached to them, as you can see at the East Gate. The excavated outlines of the enceinte outside the West Gate (西门; Xī Mén) are discernible, as are slabs of the original Ming-dynasty road, lying 1m below the current level of the ground.
The Dàbēi Pavilion (大悲阁; Dàbēi Gé) in the northwest of town has been rebuilt, as has the Taoist Sānqīng Temple, outside the walls. Shānghǎiguān's Drum Tower (鼓楼; Gǔlóu) has been similarly rebuilt, with a liberal scattering of newly constructed páilou running off east and west along Xi Dajie and Dong Dajie.
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