Great Wall, Hebei Province
Nanhaikou Pass
Nanhaikou Pass is the only pass of the Ming Great Wall established on the
seashore. With a height of 5.4 meters, the pass was supposed to be the
commanding center of the Laolongtou Great Wall defense system.
Chenghai Tower
Chenghai Tower, located 20 meters away from Nanhaikou Pass, was built after
Nanhaikou Pass was deserted. It functioned as a defensive arrow tower until the
Qing Dynasty.
Ninghai city
Ninghai city is where Chenghai Tower is located. It is about 6.6 meters high
and 500 meters long in circumference, with two gates -- one in the west and the
other in the north. The city wall was built with bricks on a stone basement and
was rammed with loess inside its walls. The city has now been rebuilt and is
open to tourists.
Temple of Meng Jiangnu
Situated on the Phoenix Mountain, 6 km east of Shanhaiguan
Pass, the Temple of Meng Jiangnu, according to legend, was originally built
before the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and was repaired in the Ming Dynasty.
In the temple's main hall is a statue of Meng Jiangnu, accompanied by two
painted maiden sculptures; the walls inside were inscribed with poems by
countless scholars and poets over past dynasties.
The construction of the temple originated from the legend of Meng Jiangnu,
whose wails were said to have split the Great Wall. According to the legend,
Meng traveled a long distance from Shanxi
Province to bring her husband, a conscripted laborer working at Shanhaiguan
Pass, some warm winter clothes. Learning that her husband had died due to the
backbreaking labor, Meng wailed for several days and nights until the Great Wall
collapsed along a stretch of 400 km to reveal the bones of her dead husband. In
despair, the heart-stricken Meng jumped into the sea.
To commemorate the steadfast woman, people built this temple to express their
admiration.
|