Experience the "Living Great Wall" at the foot of the Great Wall in Shanhaiguan, China

#0YenTravel2025Autumn

The Shanhaiguan Great Wall Museum, located at the foot of the Jiaoshan Great Wall, offers a truly immersive experience, as if you've stepped into a part of the wall! Huge glass windows offer views of the actual Jiaoshan Great Wall, integrating the exhibits with the scenery. Inside, visitors can see a wealth of exhibits, including the evolution of the Great Wall through the ages, the lives of soldiers, and actual armor and weapons. There are also plenty of videos and models, making it enjoyable even for those less knowledgeable about history. The building's beautiful design makes it a great photo spot. This is a cutting-edge spot well worth visiting in conjunction with a tour of the Great Wall.

Features/Highlights

1. Integration of Architecture and Landscape

The museum is located near the Jiaoshan Great Wall, with the wall itself as its backdrop. The building's exterior, with its pale colors, blends seamlessly with the mountain.

In particular, the museum features a large glass window measuring 24 meters wide and 9 meters high, offering a direct view of the Jiaoshan Great Wall, creating the illusion of "bringing the wall into the building."
The museum's design, which considers the Jiaoshan Great Wall to be the museum's "representative treasure," has also garnered attention.

2. Exhibit Content and Themes

The museum has multiple permanent exhibitions, showcasing Great Wall culture from various angles. Representative exhibition themes include:
・World Heritage: The Backbone of Ethnic Groups — The Great Wall of China Historical and Cultural Exhibition: A comprehensive look at the history of the Great Wall from its origins to the present day
・Special Exhibition on the First Pass in the World (Shanhai Pass): Examining the regional characteristics of Shanhai Pass and its role as a checkpoint on the Great Wall
・Spiritual Eternity: Preserving and Innovating — Building a New Great Wall: Preservation and Cultural Heritage in the Modern Age
・The Two Borders of the Great Wall are the Hometowns — Special Exhibition on Intangible Cultural Heritage: Ethnic culture and intangible cultural heritage of the Great Wall region
・Armor and Weapons from the Past: Exhibiting weapons and armor

In addition, the museum also features some special and temporary exhibitions, digital interactive exhibits, a video hall, and research and experience facilities.

3. Link with the Great Wall Cultural Park
This museum is positioned as one of the core projects of the "Great Wall National Cultural Park Construction" project, and serves as a base for integrating and displaying various Great Wall types in the Shanhaiguan region, including the "Marine Great Wall," "Plain Great Wall," "Mountain Great Wall (Jiaoshan)," and "Water Great Wall (Jimenkou)."

The museum's design is based on the concepts of "preservation" and "integration," with the architecture, exhibits, and surrounding environment blending seamlessly with history and the landscape.

❗ Things to Know for Visitors
- Opening Days/Closed Days: Open Tuesday through Sunday, closed Mondays (except national holidays)
- Tickets/Reservations: Advance reservations may be required. We recommend checking the official website for the latest information.
- Access: Located in the Shanhaiguan area (Qinhuangdao City), at the base of the Jiaoshan Great Wall. It makes sense to visit the museum in conjunction with a Great Wall tour.
Visiting Time: If you want to take your time and look around the exhibits, you can easily spend half a day or a whole day.

Stamina: While the museum itself is primarily indoors, there are still sections of the Great Wall around. If you plan to hike the wall, be careful of your footing and the weather (steep slopes, stone steps, etc.).