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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.
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