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Four kilometers south of Shanhaiguan, Laolongtou is the
easternmost end of the Great Wall, which stretches 23 meters into the
sea like a dragon drinking water, hence its name. This part of the
Great Wall was built in the 7 th year of Wanli reign in the Ming
dynasty (1579) and was mended in the 7 th year of Kangxi reign in
the Qing dynasty (1668). Emperors Kangxi and Qianlong of the Qing
Dynasty would stop here for a visit on their way to Fengtian
(Present - day Shenyang) to worship their ancestors, which makes
the city even more worthy of its name. Standing at Laolongtou,
facing the misty sea, visitors can easily picture Emperor Qin
(221-207 BC), the first emperor of China, sending people into the
sea here to find a drug that would give him immortality. You can
see the Great Wall as it zigzags over the rolling mountains like a
giant dragon to the north. Looking to the south you can see the
vast expanse of sea stretching far to merge with the sky. At this
moment you feel as if you could embrace the whole world.
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It consists of the Estuary Stone City, Jinglu Watchtower,
Wangshou Watchtower, Nanhaikou Pass, Chenghai Tower, Ninghai City
and Binhai City.
The Estuary Stone City
The Stone City lying at the estuary was built by Qijiguang, a
famous general of the Ming dynasty. It used to serve as a defense
work to resist the aggression of Nuchen and Mongolia. The Stone
City was based on natural reefs and constructed with huge rocks,
which were rabbet and connected by cast iron chains. With
battlements placed on walls the Stone City extends into the sea and
is very grandiosity.
Jinglu Watchtower
Connecting with the Stone City in the north, Jinglu Watchtower,
was built with granite bars and has a commanding height to block
the sea. The straight-cut plane of the watchtower is an equilateral
trapezium with a bottoms length of 11.7 meters and a top of 10.7
meters.
Wangshou Watchtower
Wangshou Watchtower and Jinglu Watchtower echo each other at a
distance to form defense fortifications that outflank the Old
Dragon's Head Bay. As a close defense work, the protruding tower is
25 meters-wide and 34 meters long, with parapet walls inside and a
basement beneath that is over 20-meter-long .
Nanhaikou Pass
Nanhaikou Pass is the only pass of the Ming Great wall
established on the seashore. With a height of 5.4 meters, this pass
was supposed to be the commanding center of the Laolongtou Great
Wall defense system.
Chenghai Tower
Chenghai Tower, 20 meters away from Nanhaikou pass, was built
after Nanhaikou Pass was deserted. It functioned as a defensive
arrow tower and retired after the Qing dynasty.
Ninghai City
Ninghai City is the city where Chenghai Tower locates. It is
about 6.6-meter-high and 500-meter-long in circumference and has 2
gates, one in the west and another in the north. The city wall was
built with bricks on a stone basement and was rammed with loess
inside the walls. The city has now been rebuilt and is open to
tourists.
Travel tips:
Admission fee: 50 yuan
Bus route: 25, 34
(travelchinaguide.com)
