How Long is the Great Wall of China?

The Great Wall of China is one of the most impressive and iconic structures in the world, known for its scale, length and historical significance. Unsurprisingly, it is also the longest man-made structure On Earth. So How Long is the Great Wall of China? In this article, we will interpret its length in terms of various figures.

How Many Miles/Kilometers is the Great Wall of China?

Many people do not know how long the Great Wall of China is. And it is easy to confuse the Great Wall built in different eras. The Great Wall is called "10,000 miles", but the total length of the Wall is more than 10,000 miles. It is a series of fortifications and walls that stretch across the northern borders of China, spanning over 13170.6 miles (21196.18 kilometers) in total length.

According to historical documents, more than 20 vassal states and feudal dynasties have built the Great Wall of China, and if you add up the Great Wall built in various eras, there are more than 100,000 miles, of which the length of the Great Wall built in the Qin, Han and Ming dynasties exceeded 10,000 miles.

Length of the Famous Sections of China Great Wall in Beijing

The total length of the Great Wall in Beijing is approximately 573 kilometres (356 miles) and includes several famous sections. Below is an overview of the length of each major section.

Different sections vary greatly in terms of protection and openness. To visit or hike the Great Wall, please consult our travel experts.

>> Recommended Best Beijing tours the Great Wall:

Private Beijing Great Wall Day Tour

4-day Beijing Tour with the Great Wall

3-day Jinshanling Walking & Simatai Great Wall Night Tour

How Many Kilometers/Miles Was the Great Wall of China in Different Dynasties? 

The Wall was built during 20+ dynasties in Chinese history. Below is the approximate length of the Great Wall of China built by the major dynasties. >> Learn about which dynasties constructed the Great Wall

Please note: Data is from State Administration of Cultural Heritage of China (2012 survey), UNESCO, The Great Wall of China (2016) and some academic papers.

The length of Ming Dynasty Great Wall is 5500 miles (8851.8 kilometers)

The Great Wall of China was originally built over 2,000 years ago during the Warring States period in order to protect China from invading armies. The wall was constructed, expanded, and rebuilt over many centuries by various Chinese dynasties, with the most well-known sections of the wall constructed during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Some sections of the wall, however, date back to earlier dynasties.

On 18 April 2009, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage of China and the State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping jointly announced that the Ming Great Wall starts from Tiger Mountain in Liaoning in the east and ends at Jiayuguan in Gansu in the west, travelling from east to west through 156 counties in ten provinces / autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government in Liaoning, Hebei, Tianjin, Beijing, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi, Ningxia, Gansu and Qinghai, with a total length of 5500 miles (8,851.8 kilometers). It passes through 223.5 miles (359.7 kilometers) of trenches and 1387.2 miles (2,232.5 kilometers) of natural hazards.

Is the Great Wall of China a Continuous Structure? How do they measure the total length?

Despite its impressive length, the Great Wall of China is not a continuous structure. Rather, it is made up of many different sections and fortifications that were built over time. Some of these sections are well-preserved and easily accessible to tourists, while others are in disrepair or have been destroyed over time.

In terms of actual length, it is difficult to determine the exact measurement of the Great Wall of China due to its discontinuous nature and the fact that it includes many different sections and fortifications. However, according to the survey results announced by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage of China on June 5, 2012, the total length of the Great Wall of China through the ages is 13170.6 miles (21196.18 kilometers). This is the first time that China has scientifically and systematically measured the total length of the Great Wall through the ages, not only identifying the previously determined length of the Ming Great Wall, but also providing a detailed and comprehensive resource survey of the Great Wall during the Qin and Han dynasties and early periods.

This total length includes both the sections of the wall that were constructed during the Ming Dynasty as well as earlier sections built during earlier dynasties. However, it does not include certain sections of the wall that have since been destroyed or dismantled.

While the Great Wall of China is an impressive feat of engineering and design, it is also an important symbol of Chinese history and culture. Today, the Great Wall of China is a popular tourist attraction, attracting visitors from all over the world. Many of the most well-preserved sections of the wall have been restored and are open to visitors, providing a glimpse into China's rich history and culture, and one of world’s longest man-made engineering.

How Long did it take to build the Great Wall of China?

The construction of the Great Wall lasted intermittently for about 2,700 years, from the Western Zhou Dynasty (7th century BC) to the Ming Dynasty (17th century). The first large-scale connection of the walls of various countries was made during the reign of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. The most complete surviving one is the Ming Great Wall, which was built for 270 years, from the founding of the Ming Dynasty in 1368 until its fall in 1644.

>> Recommended Great Wall of China Tours:

Half Day Great Wall Tour to Mutianyu

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Fun facts about the Great Wall of China Length

1. The length of the Great Wall is far longer than any other ancient man-made structures (e.g. Hadrian's Wall in Rome is only 117 kilometers long) if all the sections of the Great Wall from all the dynasties are added up. It is undisputedly the longest man-made structure in the world, as certified by Guinness.

2. Can you see the Great Wall from space? This is a common misconception! Astronauts cannot see the Great Wall with the naked eye in space. This is because its average width is only about 6-7 metres.

3. The highest elevation of the Great Wall of China is the Badaling Great Wall in Beijing at about 1,015 metres). The lowest elevation of the Great Wall is the Old Dragon Head in Shanhaiguan, Hebei, which extends directly into the Bohai Sea at 0 metres above sea level.

4. During the reign of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, about 1 million labourers (1/20th of the country's population at the time) were recruited for the construction of the Great Wall. About 5,000 kilometres were built in 10 years.

5. If all the masonry of the Ming Great Wall were paved to a width of 1 metre, it could circle the equator 1.5 times, about 60,000 kilometers.

6. The Great Wall of China (about 21,000 kilometres) is about 52.5 times the distance from Earth to the International Space Station (about 400 kilometres).

7. Is it possible to walk the entire Great Wall of China? If you walk 30 kilometres a day, it would take 295 days to complete the Ming Wall and 1.93 years to walk the entire Great Wall (without sleep or rest).

The Length of the Great Wall of China Today

It is estimated that about one third of the Ming Great Wall has completely disappeared, and only 8 per cent of the remaining portion is well preserved. 

About 30-50 kilometres of the Ming Great Wall disappear each year, and part of the earth wall in Gansu recedes by 1-2 metres each year due to weathering. 

The destruction is accelerated by natural weathering and by farmers taking bricks to build houses.

ue to the complexity of the terrain, China spends an enormous amount of money each year to maintain the Great Wall. For example, the Badaling section costs about 5-10 million RMB per kilometre.

Keep reading:

When Was the Great Wall of China Built?

Top Things to do on the Great Wall of China