This was a vital fort in the east part of the Great Wall during the Ming Dynasty, 15km northeast of Qinhuangdao City. Its name Shanhai, or Mountain and Sea in Chinese, came from its position: with the mountain behind and the sea in front. It is also reputed as “the first pass on earth”.

In 1381, the 14th year of Emperor Hongwu's reign of the Ming Dynasty, the emperor asked general Xuda to establish Shanhaiwei. One year later, the construction of Shanhaiwei City was connected with the Great Wall; therefore, the city was a fortification too.

There is a big board on the battlement with the words “the first pass on earth” written by Xiaoxian, a calligrapher in the Ming Dynasty. It is a key historic relics unit under state protection.

The Great Wall Museum is near the tower of Shanhaiguan Pass, which displays the relevant historic and military information and relics about the Great Wall at Shanhaiguan Pass.