🏛️ 5A National Attractions
Last verified 21 Aug 2025
Qinhuangdao officially has one national 5A scenic area—the Shanhaiguan Scenic Area, which includes the First Pass Under Heaven gate-town and Old Dragon's Head where the Great Wall meets the Bohai Sea.
1 Quick Metrics
Total 5A sites
1 (Shanhaiguan Scenic Area)
Official designation
UNESCO tie-in
Part of the Great Wall World Heritage serial property (inscribed 1987)
World heritage component
Themes
Ming Great Wall fortifications • Sea–Wall junction • Walled gate-town
Historical significance
Getting there
15–25 min by taxi from Shanhaiguan Railway Station; ~30–45 min from Beidaihe hotels
Transportation access
2 Why It Matters
Wall meets sea — At Old Dragon's Head (Laolongtou) you literally watch the Ming wall dive into the Bohai, a photo you can't get near Beijing.
Gateway of empires — First Pass Under Heaven guarded the approach to the capital; towers, barbicans and the gate-town grid remain walkable today.
3 Pro Tips
1
Sunrise Laolongtou for mirror-calm water and side-lit battlements; do the gate-town after 10:30 when shops open.
2
Combo logic: prioritize a ticket bundle that covers Gate-Town + Laolongtou; add Jiaoshan only if you want the mountain ridge views.
3
Wind & glare: the sea front is bright and breezy—hat + polarizer help; winter winds bite.
4
Crowd pattern: tour buses peak 09:30–12:00; city-wall lanes clear again after 16:00.
4 The Full 5A List
🏰
Walled Gate-Town · Shanhaiguan
Shanhaiguan Scenic Area / 山海关景区
Walled Ming gate-town, Laolongtou sea–wall junction, Great Wall Museum; real-name booking via official platforms; half-day to full-day visit.
Plot a half-day loop—Laolongtou sunrise, Gate-Town towers by late morning—and you've covered Qinhuangdao's 5A essence. No Tourist Traps. No BS.