Laolongtou ("Old Dragon's Head")

Located 4 kilometers south of Shanhaiguan Pass, Laolongtou is the easternmost end of the Great Wall, which stretches along 23 meters and then plunges, head first, into the sea. This part of the Great Wall was built in the seventh year of the Wanli reign in the Ming Dynasty (1579) and was repaired in the seventh year of Kangxi's reign in the Qing Dynasty (1668). Emperors Kangxi and Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty stopped here for a visit on their way to Fengtian (present-day Shenyang ) to worship their ancestors. Facing the misty sea at Laolongtou, visitors can picture Emperor Qinshihuang (221-207BC), China's first emperor, sending his people into the sea to find him a drug for immortality. One can follow the Great Wall as it zigzags over the rolling mountains like a giant dragon to the north. Looking to the south is the vast expanse of sea stretching far to meet the sky.

Laolongtou consists of Estuary Stone City, Jinglu Watchtower, Wangshou Watchtower, Nanhaikou Pass, Chenghai Tower, Ninghai city and Binhai city.

Estuary Stone City

Estuary Stone City, which once served as a defense structure to resist the aggression of Nuchen and Mongolia, was built by Qijiguang, a famous general of the Ming Dynasty. The stone city was based on natural reefs and constructed using huge rocks, which were rabbeted and connected by cast iron chains. With many battlements on the stone city walls, it extends into the sea and is very grandiose.

Jinglu Watchtower

Connected to 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 bottom length of 11.7 meters and a top of 10.7 meters.

Wangshou Watchtower

Wangshou and Jinglu watchtowers form the 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 that is over 20 meters long.

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