Head ofthe Old Dragon (Laolongtou)
The Meng Jiangnu Miao Temple lies about 5km/3 miles to the west of the Shanhaiguan Fortress. By order ofthe Qin Emperor Shi Huangdi hundreds of thousands of labourers had to rebuild the Great Wall in the 2nd c. b.c. 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 labour, 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.
Beidaihe Map Photo Gallery
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.
Beidaihe is one ofthe 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. Atthattime 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.
The 10km/6 mile long, 2km/1 mile wide beach, with its many rocks and cliffs, is situated in the west of Beidaihe. In addition to a number of bathing establishments, some of which date back to the late 19th c, there are also five public gardens. The beach is divided into east, west and central sections, the west section being reserved for foreigners.
Walking along the beach towards the east we reach the Tiger Rocks.
The Lotus Blossom-stones Park, also known as the Lianpengshan Gongyuan, extends from the west of Beidaihe on the pine covered hill of Donglian Feng.
Here visitors can find the Guanyin Si temple.
