Shanhaiguan Pass, deservedly known as the world's foremost pass

The Great Wall - Shanhaiguan, also known as Yugu, Yuguan, or Linyuguan, is located at No. 1 Dongdajie, Shanhaiguan District, Qinhuangdao City, Hebei Province. It is one of the northeastern passes of the Ming Dynasty's Great Wall. Before 1990, it was considered the starting point of the eastern end of the Ming Great Wall and is known as one of the 'Three Great Wonders of the Great Wall of China' (Shanhaiguan in the east, Zhenbeitai in the middle, Jiayuguan in the west), also referred to as 'the world's foremost pass,' 'the throat of the border regions,' and 'the bulwark of the capital.' It echoes the distant Jiayuguan, and is renowned worldwide. In the fourteenth year of the Hongwu era (1381), the founder of the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, ordered the construction of a city and pass here, thus becoming a military stronghold that controls the strategic throat of Northeast and North China. Named after its location nestled between mountains and sea, Shanhaiguan is praised as 'the world's foremost pass.' The plaque was inscribed by the famous Ming Dynasty calligrapher Xiao Xian. The circumference of the Shanhaiguan city wall is about 4 kilometers, connected to the Great Wall, with the city serving as the pass. The city wall is 14 meters high and 7 meters thick, with four main city gates and various defensive structures. These include the 'world's foremost pass' watchtower, Jingbian Tower, Muying Tower, Linyu Tower, Wengcheng (barbican), and a 1350-meter-long section of the Ming Dynasty's plain Great Wall. On March 4, 1961, the Great Wall - Shanhaiguan was announced by the State Council as one of the first batch of national key cultural relics protection units. In December 1987, the Great Wall, including Shanhaiguan, was declared a World Cultural Heritage site by UNESCO. Chinese Name: The Great Wall - Shanhaiguan Geographic Location: No. 1 Dongdajie, Shanhaiguan District, Qinhuangdao City, Hebei Province Era: Ming Dynasty Recommended Duration of Visit: 1—2 hours Best Seasons to Visit: Suitable in spring, summer, and autumn