The First Pass Under Heaven
The great gatehouse and the wall above it, the image on every Shanhaiguan postcard. Climb to the upper floor for the view over the town and out to the plain, and walk a stretch of the wall.
Shanhaiguan · Hebei
Shanhaiguan Tours & Travel Guide 2026 | Great Wall, First Pass | JoyoTour
Shanhaiguan is Hebei's Great Wall frontier town — the First Pass Under Heaven, where the wall meets the sea at Old Dragon Head, and the Meng Jiangnu Temple.
The short version
Shanhaiguan is the Great Wall town where the Ming dynasty's eastern defence line met the sea, about 300 km east of Beijing and 17 km from Qinhuangdao city. Three sites carry the trip: the First Pass Under Heaven (¥50), Old Dragon Head where the wall runs into the Bohai (¥60), and the Meng Jiangnu Temple (¥25). One full day covers all three; two days adds the Jiao Shan wall and Yansai Lake.
- The First Pass Under Heaven ticket is ¥50; the ¥60 version adds the Bell and Drum Tower and is the better buy.
- Old Dragon Head, the wall's meeting point with the sea, is 4 km south of the town and reached by bus 25.
- Shanhaiguan is 17 km from Qinhuangdao city and 30 km from Beidaihe — all three share one bus network.
- Buy tickets only at the official booths; touts near Old Dragon Head sell a ¥30 'Great Wall Wonderland' that is not the real site.
- The high-speed train from Beijing takes about 2 hours, and most people base themselves in Qinhuangdao.
The place itself
What Shanhaiguan is actually like
Shanhaiguan is the place where the Great Wall stops being a mountain road and becomes the edge of the sea. The Ming built the pass in 1381 to hold the narrow plain between the Yan mountains and the Bohai, and for the next two and a half centuries it was one of the most important gates in China — the 'first pass under heaven', the line between the empire and the northeast.
The town itself is a small, walkable grid inside a largely intact city wall, with the First Pass gatehouse at its eastern edge and the wall running south to Old Dragon Head, where it marches into the water. Between them are museums, old streets and the Bell and Drum Tower; the whole ensemble is unusually complete, which is why it holds up better than many rebuilt 'ancient towns'.
For most visitors it is a day trip from Qinhuangdao or Beidaihe, but Shanhaiguan rewards a slower look: the legend of Meng Jiangnu, whose temple sits in the hills to the east, the sea views from the Chenghai Tower, and the climb along the ridge at Jiao Shan. It is history with a sea breeze on it.
Destination — click to open the guide
Province or autonomous region
Provincial capital
Major river
Pins are plotted from real latitude and longitude on a 5° graticule. This is a schematic orientation diagram, not a political map — no boundaries are drawn.
What not to miss — Shanhaiguan
Old Dragon Head
The Ming wall's eastern end, where a stone bastion runs into the sea. Climb the Chenghai Tower on top for the classic 'dragon drinking at the ocean' view along the whole bay.
Meng Jiangnu Temple
A small, much-visited shrine in the hills east of town, dedicated to the woman of the legend who wept the wall down. Look for the 108 steps and the famous play-on-words couplet.
The Great Wall Museum
A modern, well-organised museum inside the town that explains the wall's construction, garrisons and weapons, and makes sense of what you are looking at before you climb it.
Jiao Shan Great Wall
A steep, dramatic stretch of wall on the ridge 3 km north of town, the highest point of the pass's defences at 519 m. Closed for fire control from 1 March to mid-May.
Yansai Lake
A long artificial lake in the gorge northwest of town, ringed by cliffs and known locally as 'Little Guilin'. Best combined with Jiao Shan on a second day.
Getting there and away
Trains from Beijing to Shanhaiguan take about 2 hours on the Beijing–Harbin line, and the station is a 5-minute walk from the town centre — closer than most visitors expect. Buses 25 and 33 connect the station, the First Pass and Old Dragon Head, and Qinhuangdao Beidaihe Airport (BPE) is a short drive away.
Shanhaiguan sits 17 km from Qinhuangdao city and 30 km from Beidaihe, and all three share the same bus routes, so it is easy to join them into one trip. Many travellers sleep in Qinhuangdao or Beidaihe and visit the pass as a day out, since Shanhaiguan's own accommodation is limited.
Best time to visit — Shanhaiguan
| Month | Weather | Crowds | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 4°C / -4°C · dry, cold | Quiet | Avoid |
| February | 6°C / -1°C · dry, cold | Very busy | Avoid |
| March | 14°C / 5°C · dry, cold | Moderate | Good |
| April | 21°C / 12°C · clear and mild | Moderate | Best |
| May | 27°C / 18°C · clear and mild | Busy | Best |
| June | 31°C / 23°C · hot, humid | Moderate | OK |
| July | 32°C / 25°C · hot, humid | Busy | OK |
| August | 30°C / 24°C · hot, humid | Busy | OK |
| September | 26°C / 19°C · clear and mild | Moderate | Best |
| October | 20°C / 12°C · clear and mild | Very busy | Best |
| November | 12°C / 4°C · dry, cold | Quiet | Good |
| December | 5°C / -2°C · dry, cold | Quiet | Good |
How many days do you need?
One full day does the core: the First Pass in the morning, Old Dragon Head and the Chenghai Tower after lunch, the Meng Jiangnu Temple if time allows. A second day adds the Jiao Shan wall and Yansai Lake, both northwest of town, and turns a rushed visit into a proper one.
Plan these days properlyCombine it with
Beijing
Beijing Municipality · 6 tours
Beijing is China's capital and the most efficient place to start a first trip: the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, the Temple of Heaven and the hutong
Beidaihe
Hebei · 4 tours
Beidaihe is Hebei's classic seaside resort on the Bohai coast, roughly 380 km from Beijing and about 2 hours by high-speed train, and it earns its fam
Qinhuangdao
Hebei · 4 tours
Qinhuangdao is Hebei's Bohai port city, a municipality of 3.1 million with 126 km of coastline, and it is the frame around Beidaihe and Shanhaiguan ra
Frequently asked questions
How much are the Shanhaiguan tickets?
The First Pass Under Heaven is ¥50, or ¥60 with the Bell and Drum Tower included — the ¥60 ticket is the better value. Old Dragon Head is ¥60 (¥30 in low season), and the Meng Jiangnu Temple is ¥25. Buy at the official booths only.
How do I get from Beijing to Shanhaiguan?
Trains run from Beijing on the Beijing–Harbin line in about 2 hours to Shanhaiguan station, which is a 5-minute walk from the old town. Buses 25 and 33 link the station, the First Pass and Old Dragon Head.
Is Shanhaiguan worth visiting on its own?
Yes — it is the most complete Great Wall pass town in China, with the wall, the gatehouse and the sea all in one place. Most people combine it with Qinhuangdao and Beidaihe, which are 17 km and 30 km away.
What is the difference between the First Pass and Old Dragon Head?
The First Pass is the wall's great gatehouse inside the town, the 'first pass under heaven' at the eastern end of the old defences. Old Dragon Head is 4 km south, where the same wall runs into the Bohai Sea — the 'dragon's head drinking at the water'.
What should I watch out for at Old Dragon Head?
Avoid touts near the entrance. They push a ¥30 'Great Wall Wonderland' next door and imply it is the real site — it is not. Buy at the official ticket office and check you are at the entrance to the actual Old Dragon Head complex.
Explore next
More on Shanhaiguan
Combine it with
China tours
Day tours
Tell us your dates.
We'll do the rest.
Free itinerary design, a revised plan within one working day, and nothing charged until you approve the final version.
- Free itinerary planning by a destination specialist
- A revised draft within one working day
- Nothing is charged until you approve the final version.