Qinhuangdao Travel Guide

Qinhuangdao is a port city on the Bohai Sea in eastern Hebei. Its name is said to come from the legend of an emperor of the Qin dynasty who reached this coast in search of an elixir of life. Sea breezes keep summers cool, and the city has long been a popular seaside escape close to Beijing.East of the city, the Shanhaiguan district holds the Wall's eastern stronghold. The Shanhaiguan pass, acclaimed as the "First Pass Under Heaven," was built in the Ming dynasty, and the Wall runs from it southward into the sea. The point where it juts into the water is Laolongtou, and its wave-washed ramparts are famous as the only place where the Ming Great Wall reaches the sea. The Great Wall was inscribed as a World Cultural Heritage site in 1987, and the wall at Shanhaiguan is part of that listing.Beidaihe is a summer resort developed by foreigners, where pine woods meet sandy beaches. Lodging and health retreats still line the coast, and in summer the beaches fill with bathers. At Shanhaiguan, the Ming-dynasty walls and gate towers survive well, offering a view of the Wall and the sea in a single panorama.Seafood from the Bohai Sea leads the table, with shrimp, crab and clams among the favorites. High-speed rail links the city with Beijing, and on summer weekends many people come seeking the sea. A city that pairs the history of the Great Wall with the openness of the coast, it shows a different face with each season.