The Old Dragon Head (Laolongtou) at Shanhaiguan is where the Great Wall makes its dramatic plunge into the Bohai Sea. The name comes from a Ming Dynasty legend: the wall, stretching thousands of kilometers from west to east, resembled an enormous dragon — and at its eastern terminus, the dragon lowered its head to drink from the sea.
The Engineering Challenge
Building a wall into the sea presented unique challenges. The Ming engineers constructed a stone foundation that could withstand the constant pounding of waves and the corrosive effects of saltwater. The original structure, completed in 1579, used massive stone blocks fitted together without mortar, relying on their weight and interlocking design for stability.
The Chenghai Tower
At the very tip of the Old Dragon Head stood the Chenghai Tower (“Sea-Calming Tower”), a two-story pavilion where Ming generals scanned the horizon for invading fleets. The poet Sun Chengze wrote: “The Great Wall ends where the sea begins, and the waves crash against the dragon’s jaw.”
Destruction and Restoration
The original Old Dragon Head was destroyed in 1900 by Eight-Nation Alliance forces during the Boxer Rebellion. For nearly a century, only rubble remained. In 1985, a major restoration project rebuilt the wall and tower using historical records and archaeological evidence, returning the dragon to the sea.