Shanhaiguan Pass Picture

Shanhaiguan Pass is the ancient town where the Great Wall meets the sea. It is a small town and port on the northern Bohai gulf, 15 kilometers from Qinhuangdao city. The town was built in 1381 during the Ming Dynasty. At that time, it was a strategic military post. People consider it to be the number 1 pass on the Great Wall and it played an important role in the defense of two ancient capitals, Beijing in the east, and Chang'an (Xi'an) in the west. The pass of Shanhaiguan is a square and its perimeter is about 4 kilometers long. The walls are 14 meters high and 7 meters thick. At the pass's east, south and north side, there are moats of 8 feet deep and 17 feet wide. A drawbridge was used to get over the moat. In the middle of the pass is a tall bell tower…