Why go
The Ming wall's eastern terminus is theatrical by design: the Shanhaiguan gate tower guards the pass between mountains and sea, and 5 km south the wall runs down the beach and literally into the waves at Laolongtou — the Old Dragon's Head — with a stone wall you can walk at low tide.
Beidaihe, 30 minutes west, has been the seaside retreat of the Chinese establishment since railway days; its legacy is a district of early-1900s villas and quiet beaches. In May and September migrating birds — including globally rare Siberian species — pass through its wetlands in the hundreds of thousands.
- Shanhaiguan — the 'First Pass Under Heaven' gate tower
- Laolongtou — the wall's 'Old Dragon's Head' ending in the surf
- Beidaihe beaches and 1890s villa district
- Birdwatching at Beidaihe wetlands, a world migration hotspot
Where to go
Day one: Shanhaiguan pass and Laolongtou. Day two: Beidaihe beach morning, birdwatching in season, seafood dinner on the front.
What to eat
Seafood obviously, plus Qinhuangdao's grilled squid carts and the Hebei staple of donkey-meat flatbread (lürou huoshao) found everywhere.
Getting there
- HSR from Beijing 2h; Shanhaiguan station is a stop
- Role
- Port city, Hebei province
- Wall terminus
- Laolongtou meets the Bohai Sea
- Beidaihe
- China's classic summer resort since 1898
