The project to restore the ancient city of Shanhaiguan, part of
the World Heritage, officially started this August in the
Shanhaiguan District of Qinhuangdao City, Hebei Province. Shanhaiguan Pass, which gained
fame as the "First Pass of the Great Wall," is located in this
city.
Experts will first carry out protective restoration mainly on
the Pass itself, stretching for 6,236 meters. Some 719.83 million
yuan (US$90.57 million) will be invested into the project.
The first part of the project, accounting for 310 million yuan
(US$39 million), will be used to conserve and renovate the badly
damaged city wall, including restoring its former main structure
and annexes, consolidating the platforms and repairing the inside
of the wall with work expected to finish in 2008. The other part of
the fund will be invested into repairing the 8-km stretch of wall
from Laolongtou (Old Dragon's Head) to the Jiaoshan Section,
expected to meet the end before 2012.
Shanhaiguan District and Shanhaiguan Pass
Shanhaiguan is a small, sleepy town and a northern port on the
Bohai gulf, being the gateway between northeast China and north
China. Shanhaiguan Pass, 15 kilometers from the tourist city of
Qinhuangdao, got its name from being situated between the Yanshan
Mountains and the Bohai Sea.
Built in 583, it was renovated throughout various dynasties
until it was transformed into a formidable military stronghold
during the Ming Dynasty. As the strategic passage between north and
northeast China, this pass has formed a bone of contention for
military strategists since the ancient times. It is also considered
the defensive key to two ancient capitals – Beijing in the east and
Chang'an (now Xi'an, Shaanxi Province) in the west. It is now a
national tourist attraction at the eastern end of the Great
Wall.
Shanhaiguan Pass consists of a main castle, two supporting
turrets – one to the north and one to the south, with two
semicircular protective walls in front of the main castle. The
compound extends to the towns of Weiyuan and Ninghai.
Most of these structures are still well-preserved, while others,
such as the wall of Ninghai Town, the Calm Sea Tower and the
Laolongtou, where the Great Wall meets the sea, have been
restored.
The brick wall of the pass, stuffed with earth, stands 14 meters
high, seven meters wide and measures four kilometers in
circumference. It is connected with the Great Wall stretching onto
the rolling Yanshan Mountains to the north and into the Bohai Sea
to the south with parts and battlements that form a strong and
powerful defense system. The Gate Tower now houses an exhibition of
ancient military uniforms and weapons including a saber that weighs
83 kilos, the heaviest in the country.
Future Shanhaiguan to show Ming, Qing Dynasties building
styles
Having experienced cumulative damage from wars and natural
erosion, the once famed ancient city has lost much of its charm.
Parts of the city wall have been badly damaged and the old ordinary
houses are not in good condition.
To protect the ancient city, Hebei Province has set up its No. 1
cultural project to invest over 2 billion yuan (US$252 million) for
the city's renewal. Up till now, 800 million yuan (US$100 million)
has been invested in rebuilding the city's Bell Tower, the southern
Wangyanglou, western Ying'enlou and northern Fuyuanlou gates.
The Great Wall Museum has been renovated and a city's folk
customs museum is newly built. Over 50 cultural relics and
well-reserved folk houses have been protected. When the restoration
is complete, the whole city will present a typical ancient Ming and
Qing Dynasties building style.
The Shanhaiguan District set up a special archaeological
committee for excavating and collecting the immaterial cultural
heritage. The experts have undertaken great research on the Great
Wall's history, its folk tales and ancient military ceremonies.
Till now, they have accomplished the drafts for a book series known
as Shanhaiguan Pictorial Handbook, Shanhaiguan
Legends and a series about local people's life stories and
contributions.
Local residents resettle in a new living area
Liu Deyou, the board chairman of Shanhaiguan Ancient City
Protection and Exploration Co. Ltd., said the most urgent and
important thing is to resettle the local residents.
According to the scheme, 51 percent of local residents will need
to be relocated to new accommodation. The new living district will
cover a total land of over 130 hectares. About 17 administrative
departments, six enterprises, and eight schools and kindergartens
will also be moved there.
The other 49 percent of residents will have their dwelling
conditions improved with the help of the local government.
(China.org.cn by Staff Reporter Zhou Jing, September 16,
2006)