In late October my colleague Kaiyu and I flew to Qinhuangdao in the north-eastern Hebei province to attend the IWISA 2010 conference. The conference organizers were very hospitable and we had a great time at Yanshan University.
Kaiyu's Presentation on Context Aware SOA
After the conference, we had time to explore some of the Qinhuangdao sights and I was really excited to see the great wall for the first time.
Steps up to the Great Wall
The section of the great wall at Shanhai Guan near Qinhuangdao is the most easterly in China. At 'First Pass Under Heaven', the wall provides intimidating fortifications for the old city of Shanhai Guan.
Market Stalls Along the Top of the Wall
There are a series of towers along the top of the wall, inside of which are some historic artifacts. Below you can see a photo of me in front of Lin Lu tower, which dates from 1584 and an ancient tablet showing the progression of the animals in the Chinese calendar.
Lin Lu Tower
Chinese Animal Calendar: this is the Year of the Tiger.
A short taxi ride form First Pass Under Heaven is 'The Old Dragon Head' where the great wall meets the sea. This fortification was most recently to defend against Japanese pirates and it contains a number of Chinese naval relics.
Inside the Old Dragon Head Fort
The Old Dragon Head: where the Great Wall meets the Ocean
The Old Dragon Head is an impressive symbol of ancient China's achievemets. Standing on the wall and looking out into the Bohai Sea, it was possible to see dozens of huge ships waiting to dock. An impressive display of modern China's growing economic power.
The View Down the Coast to the Sea God Temple
Just down the coast from the wall, there is a small but pleasent shrine to the god of the sea, which was used by fishermen. Below you can see a statue of the sea god himself:
The God of the Sea
The last picture is actually one of the Door Guards. The God of the Sea is in the temple with the Eight Immortals.
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