Qinhuangdao lies in the northeast of the Hebei province, on the Bohai Sea, 260km/161mi from Tianjin and 400km/248mi from Beijing.
The city's port plays an important role in Chinese trade. The city itself is separated into three districts about 15km/9mi apart: Beidaihe in the west, Qinhuangdao in the center and Shanhaiguan in the east.
Beidaihe
(Hebei)
Beidaihe is one of the most popular holiday and health resorts in China with numerous guesthouses and sanatoriums. The beach, the mild climate, and the many parks attract large numbers of visitors.
In 1898 the status of Beidaihe was raised when, by imperial decree, it was chosen as a health resort. At that time Europeans and wealthy Chinese built their villas here, but after 1949 Beidaihe became the health resort for the workers and sanatoriums were then erected.
The climate on this coastal stretch is very mild; in the summer the average temperature is around 23°C (72°F). The bathing season normally lasts from May to October.
Meng Jiangnu Miao Temple
(Hebei)
The Meng Jiangnu Miao Temple lies about 5km/3mi to the west of the Shanhaiguan Fortress. By order of the Qin Emperor Shi Huangdi hundreds of thousands of laborers had to rebuild the Great Wall in the 2nd C BC According to an old legend, Meng Jiangnu came to Shanhaiguan from far away to search for her husband who was doing socage work here. When she discovered that he had long since died from the hard labor, she cried so much that a completed section of the wall collapsed, thus releasing her husband's corpse. Meng carried the section to the coast and threw it and him into the sea.
The temple, consisting of two halls, was erected several hundred years ago by the residents in this area. The front hall houses a terracotta statue of Meng Jiangnu. Some of the dedications engraved on the many stone tablets here originate from the Qing emperors Qianlong, Jiaqing and Daoguang.
Shanhaiguan Fortress
(Hebei)
The Shanhaiguan is the most important pass in the east of the Great Wall. The fortress, originally constructed in 1381 - the present structure dating from 1639 - is situated in the center of Shanhaiguan. It has four gates protected by towers. There are 68 embrasures in the wall for archery purposes.
Hanging on the east gate roof ledge is a large wooden tablet bearing the inscription: ''First gate on earth'' (Tianxia diyiguan). It was engraved by one of the graduates of the imperial examinations.
The extension of the citadel leading to the sea is known as the Head of the Old Dragon (Laolongtou) and forms the eastern end of the Great Wall.
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Wuhan
