Monday, April 07, 2014

山海关 -- Shanhaiguan

Dad's last full day in town and he wanted to go to Shanhaiguan....the place where the Great Wall of China meets the sea!

We (Dad, Onions, myself and two students from SYA) arrived in Shanhaiguan and went first to Jiumenkou (Nine Door Openings), which is apparently, the only place where the Great Wall was built over a body of water.




Spring Time in China!


Second stop.....moving east towards the sea is 天下第一关 (the first pass under heaven), or the first gate of the gate wall coming from the sea.



This great drawing shows how important this narrow plain was.  The city was the only place for the Manchu's (and other northern people) to get to East China).  The mountains rise up pretty quickly to the west.

The future of rickshaws?  Too bad I was too big to ride!

And the highlight of the day....

老龙头 -- Old Dragon's Head (or Tail) where the Great Wall of China meets the Sea.



Onions doesn't understand that thugs don't smile in their pictures!