Shanhai Pass

"Shanhaiguan" redirects here. For the administrative district, see Shanhaiguan District.
Shanhai Guan
Old Dragon's Head (老龙头), part of Shanhai Pass, is where the Great Wall meets the Bohai Sea
Traversed byBeijing–Harbin railway, G102
LocationShanhaiguan District, Qinhuangdao, Hebei, China
Coordinates40°00′34″N 119°45′15″E / 40.00944°N 119.75417°E / 40.00944; 119.75417
Shanhai Guan is located in China
Shanhai Guan
Shanhai Pass
Chinese name
Simplified Chinese山海关
Traditional Chinese山海關
Literal meaning"Mountain and Sea Pass"
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinShānhǎi Guān
Wade–GilesShan Hai Kuan
Yue: Cantonese
Jyutpingsaan1 hoi2 gwaan1
Manchu name
Manchu scriptᡧᠠᠨᠠᡥᠠ
ᡶᡠᡵᡩᠠᠨ
Romanizationšanaha furdan
Shanhai Pass is located in Hebei
Shanhai Pass
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Location of Shanhai Pass in Hebei
The "First Pass Under Heaven" plaque on Shanhaiguan's main gate

Shanhai Pass or Shanhaiguan (simplified Chinese: 山海关; traditional Chinese: 山海關; pinyin: Shānhǎi Guān; lit. 'Mountain Sea Pass') is the eastern end of the Great Wall of China and one of its major passes. It commands the narrowest choke point in the strategic Liaoxi Corridor, a crucial coastal landway between the North and Northeast China. It is located in Shanhaiguan District, Qinhuangdao, Hebei province, on the east bank of the Shi River between the Yan Mountains and the coast of Liaodong Bay.

In 1961, the pass was selected as a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level by the State Council of China,[1] and it was listed as a World Heritage Site as part of the Great Wall by UNESCO in 1987.[2]

The pass is a popular tourist destination at the eastern terminus of the Ming Great Wall. The location where the wall meets the Bohai Sea is nicknamed "Old Dragon's Head" (老龙头).[3] The pass lies nearly 300 kilometres (190 mi) east of Beijing and is linked via the Jingshen Expressway that runs northeastward to Shenyang.

Throughout Chinese history, the pass served as a frontline defensive outpost against ethnic groups from Northeast China (Manchuria), including the Khitan and Jurchen (Manchus). Shanhai Pass is the eastern end of the Great Wall, and is the first barrier for guarding the frontier, therefore it is called the "First Pass Under Heaven" (天下第一关).[4]

  1. ^ China Cultural Heritage, Issues 1–6. China Cultural Heritage Magazine Agency. 2009. pp. 93–.
  2. ^ Science and Technology Achievements in History of China. Foreign Languages Press. 2018. pp. 155–. ISBN 978-7-119-06386-7.
  3. ^ "Old Dragon's Head – where the Great Wall of China meets the sea". The Times of India. Sep 8, 2014.
  4. ^ Editorial Department of Zhonghua Book Company (2018). Chinese Ancient Culture Common Sense for Elementary School Students. Zhonghua Book Company. pp. 88–. ISBN 978-7-101-13020-1.