Jun 22
2026

The Great Wall.The Great Wall.

The Great Wall, as the Chinese say, winds its way across the country like a dragon. Including all its sections, it is approximately 21,000 km long and was built over 2,000 years (from the Spring and Autumn Period around 770 BC to the Ming Dynasty, up to the 7th century AD). The dragon’s head is located on the coast in Hebei Province, specifically in the city of Qinhuangdao. Since June 2025, it has been home to the largest and most important museum dedicated to the Great Wall: On one side, visitors look out over the sea, while on the other, the Jiaoshan mountain range rises not far away. There, in turn, lies the Shanhaiguan Pass, the first mountain crossing of the Great Wall on its long westward journey.

The museum is named after it: Shanhaiguan itself literally means “Pass Between the Mountains and the Sea.”

The Shanhaiguan Museum of the Great Wall of China.

At the Xiamen Stone Fair 2026, Lü Cheng of the China Northwest Architectural Design & Research Institute (CSCEC) presented the plans for the museum and the use of natural stone. The guiding principle, as he stated, was “harmony with the surroundings.”

The aim was also to commemorate the important role the area played, both economically as access to the sea and historically as a crucial military base in the fight against Japan and during the Chinese Civil War.

The Shanhaiguan Museum of the Great Wall of China.The Shanhaiguan Museum of the Great Wall of China.

The building is low-rise and has a square base, reminiscent of ancient Chinese fortification towers. The floors are staggered.

As visitors move through the different levels, new views of the landscape unfold, culminating in a sweeping panorama from the roof, stretching from the sea on one side to the mountain range on the other.

The design is based on the granite Pearl White, sourced from the surrounding area and available in various finishes. The exterior walls feature clearly visible mortar joints, mimicking the effect of the bricks in the Great Wall. The interior walls are hand-finished to evoke the craftsmanship of the Great Wall.

Overall, “simplicity” was also a goal, as Lü Cheng explained in his presentation.

The Shanhaiguan Museum of the Great Wall of China.

Inside, approximately 11,000 objects are displayed across 30,000 square meters in five permanent and three temporary exhibition halls. These exhibits showcase the history of the structure and its construction, as well as everyday objects, weapons, and works of art.

“The museum is dedicated to safeguarding and sharing the heritage of the Great Wall, to advancing its global reach through cultural programs, and to academic cooperation and digital displays,” said Guo Ying, deputy curator of the museum.
The photos are from an architects’ trip to Qinhuangdao organized by the Chinese Natural Stone Association.

Shanhaiguan Museum of the Great Wall of China

The Shanhaiguan Museum of the Great Wall of China.The Shanhaiguan Museum of the Great Wall of China.The Shanhaiguan Museum of the Great Wall of China.The Shanhaiguan Museum of the Great Wall of China.The Shanhaiguan Museum of the Great Wall of China.