Besides the restored fortress, the first half mile leading towards the mountains had been completely renovated as well.  It was easy to see why these restorations made Shanhaiguan and Laolongtou favorite historical seaside destinations for the Chinese. Groups of tourists roamed the renovated sections on a daily basis, posing for photos at every angle imaginable.  At the end of the restored section, a small barricade blocked the adventurous few from going any further. The handful of visitors that made it that far simply turned around, satisfied with no need to go any further.  I too had turned around as it was too early to start up the hill and no reason to do it with an empty stomach.

After eating a variety of Chinese dishes from the menu of a local restaurant, I ordered a couple more dishes to go.  Chinese 'takeout' had yet to become popular in China, so a couple of plastic bags to go had to do.  By chance, I had been collecting plastic bags, not for food, but to keep the dust and dirt out of my things while biking.  I didn't think I would need these takeout meals, but from the looks of these mountains, I might need all the energy I could stir up.

As the sun began lowering in the west, it was time to leave the restaurant and head towards the mountains. The tourists, the workers, and the guards were all gone and nobody noticed me going around the barricade. 

Photographed in 1986.