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Laolongtou Great Wall of China
The Laolongtou (literally, "Old Dragon Head"), section of the Great Wall of China, near the eastern coastal city of Qinhuangdao, China, is the part of the Great Wall that ends (or begins, depending on how you look at it) as it extends out into the Bohai Sea. Supposedly it looks like a dragon (as do many things in China according to local custom) taking a drink out of the sea, hence the name Old Dragon Head. Although it is not the easternmost point of the entire Great Wall of China (there are ancient sections farther east in far northeast China), it is the beginning point of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall, and it makes for a very interesting place to visit. This section of the Wall extends about 20 meters (60 feet) out into the Bohai Sea, and it is possible to walk out onto the Wall and look over the edge directly down into the water. Although it has been heavily rebuilt, parts of the original Wall, particularly its foundations, are clearly visible while walking out onto the extension into the sea. One of the most interesting aspects of this part of the Great Wall of China is an ancient stone tablet that sits out on the Wall's extension. This really old stone tablet and its inscriptions of four Chinese characters were supposedly installed by Xue Rengui, a legendary Chinese general who at one time conquered the Korean Peninsula during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 A.D.)
You can tour Laolongtou and the Great Wall of China, Beijing and all of China with Beijing Discovery Tours, based in Beijing, China! We are an American & Chinese operated tour company offering exceptional tourism services to the Great Wall of China, the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven and all of Beijing as well as fantastic Yangtze River Cruises and trips to see the Terracotta Warriors in Xian. We can offer a customized, private Beijing tour and a private Great Wall tour for individuals, groups & families to experience the amazing 5,000 year-old culture of China. Private group tours are also available for schools and organizations. Please contact us for customized individual and private China group tours and Beijing group tours.