Shanhaiguan Hunuo (Mixed Pot)

Shanhaiguan hunuo, also called the "meat pot," is a kind of assorted hot pot served in a red-copper vessel, in which sauerkraut, pork, meatballs, frozen tofu, kelp and local seafood such as prawns, dried shrimp and crab are simmered together so their savoury juices mingle, the most representative traditional dish of Shanhaiguan.

The Shanhaiguan hunuo is said to stretch back over three centuries, with two main origin stories—one carried in by Qing troops entering the pass, the other handed down by Ming-dynasty Great-Wall builders—and takes its name from the way ingredients are "mixed" into a single pot. In 2009 it was listed as a Qinhuangdao municipal intangible heritage item, and the town now holds an annual Hunuo Festival.

Served in a red-copper pot with sauerkraut on the bottom and ribs, meatballs, pork, frozen tofu, kelp and seafood stacked above, it is simmered in old chicken broth and brought to the table, then dipped into a sauce of sesame paste, fermented bean curd, chive flowers and coriander; one pot feeds several diners gathered around.

The red-copper pot, the sauerkraut base, the layered abundance of seafood and meatballs, and the dining custom of the Great-Wall town are the clearest marks of Shanhaiguan hunuo.