The Bagua Array Maze at Laolongtou in Shanhaiguan is a scenic spot full of mysterious charm. It is located within the Laolongtou Scenic Area and is said to have been built during the Ming Dynasty when Qi Jiguang was in charge of the Jizhen Great Wall. It has a close connection with ancient military affairs.
The scientific name of the Bagua Array Maze is “Nine-Palace Bagua Array”, which was a type of military formation in ancient times. The Bagua Array here is designed based on the Wenwang Bagua azimuth map and built with gray bricks. The total construction area of the entire Bagua Array is 2,873 square meters. According to the azimuth of the Wenwang Bagua map, it is divided into a total of 64 small formations. In the middle of the Bagua Array, there is an octagonal pyramidal-roofed Bagua Pavilion with a construction area of 30.25 square meters. This place was once the command platform for overseeing the entire formation.
This Bagua Array seems to have connected paths everywhere, but once you step into it, you seem to hit a wall at every turn, and there are dead ends everywhere. The walls of the maze are about 1.5 meters high, built by piling stone bricks. Many retro flags are often inserted on the walls. Wandering in the maze makes people feel as if they have returned to the Ming Dynasty. If a child enters alone, it is very difficult for people outside to see him or her. Therefore, parents must take good care of their children. Many tourists often spend a long time unable to find the exit after entering the Bagua Array. Some tourists even joke that they were trapped inside for nearly an hour. It is precisely because walking through the Bagua Array is like passing a checkpoint or walking through a maze, which requires people to calmly deal with each level, that it attracts many tourists to come and experience it.
Today, the Laolongtou Scenic Area still preserves the most complete and largest-scale Ming Dynasty military camp existing in China. As an important part of the military defense system of Laolongtou, the Bagua Array Maze not only allows tourists to feel the wisdom of the ancients but also enables them to experience the fun of exploring a maze. If you come to the Laolongtou Scenic Area in Shanhaiguan, you might as well step into the Bagua Array Maze and personally experience its unique charm.
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