Great Wall of China

Introduction & Top Questions
History of construction
- Early building
- The Han through Yuan dynasties
- The Ming dynasty to the present
Design of the fortifications
- Passes
- Signal towers
- Walls
Military administration
Tradition and conservation

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images & Videos

Moon rising over the Great Wall of China

westernmost portion of the Great Wall of China

At a Glance

Great Wall of China summary

Quizzes

Taj Mahal, Agra, India. UNESCO World Heritage Site (minarets; Muslim, architecture; Islamic architecture; marble; mausoleum)

Wonders of the World Quiz

Great Wall of China. In c. 220 B.C., under Qin Shi Huang, sections of earlier fortifications were joined together to form a united defence system against invasions from the north. Construction continued up to the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), when (see notes)

A Quiz About Walls and More

Related Questions

How did Qin Shi Huang help create the first connected Great Wall system?
How did gate towers at Great Wall passes serve soldiers?
How did platforms along the Great Wall help soldiers defend it?
How did the Great Wall help the growth of the Silk Road?
How did the Great Wall support farming in northern and western China during the Han dynasty?
How did the Han dynasty use the Great Wall in its campaigns against the Xiongnu?
How did the Han dynasty use the Great Wall to control trade and travel?
How did the Qing policy of huairou affect maintenance of the Great Wall?
How long did the Qin dynasty’s Great Wall construction project last?
How long is the Great Wall of China when all known sections are included?
How long is the best-preserved Ming dynasty section of the Great Wall?
How much of the Great Wall’s route consists of natural barriers such as rivers and mountain ridges?
How tall is the Great Wall of China on average?
How was the Great Wall organized into Nine Border Garrisons during the Ming dynasty?
How were western desert sections of the Great Wall constructed?
How wide is the Great Wall of China at its base and at its top?
What was a wengcheng and how did it protect a Great Wall gate?
What were the Inner and Outer walls built during the Ming dynasty?
What were the crenels and loopholes on the Great Wall used for?
What were the three major components of the Great Wall’s fortification system?
When was the Great Wall of China named a UNESCO World Heritage site?
Where does the Ming dynasty Great Wall begin and end?
Which Great Wall passes were called the Three Inner Passes near Beijing?
Which Great Wall passes were called the Three Outer Passes?
Which goods were restricted from leaving China through the Great Wall during the Han dynasty?
Which materials were used to build different sections of the Great Wall of China?
Which sections of the Great Wall have been restored near Beijing?
Who was Meng Tian and what was his role in building the Great Wall?
Why did Ming rulers repeatedly repair and strengthen the Great Wall?
Why did Qin Shi Huang order walls between former Chinese states to be removed?
Why did the Great Wall gradually fall into disrepair under the Qing dynasty?
Why did the Great Wall lose military importance during the Tang dynasty?
Why is the Great Wall of China considered a national symbol in China?
Why was a section of the Great Wall near Simatai dismantled in the 1970s?
Why was the Great Wall of China built along China’s northern frontier?
Why were stone and brick used more often in eastern sections of the Great Wall?
Why were the Great Wall passes near Beijing heavily garrisoned during the Ming dynasty?
Why was the Great Wall of China built?
Can you see the Great Wall of China from space?
What is the one-child policy?
When was the one-child policy introduced?
Why is the one-child policy controversial?
What are the consequences of the one-child policy?

Geography & Travel Historic Places

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External Websites

UNESCO World Heritage Convention - The Great Wall
UNI ScholarWorks - Geography around the Great Wall (PDF)
CNN - WhatÂ’s it like to walk the entire length of ChinaÂ’s Great Wall?
World Monuments Fund - Built to defend China Centuries ago, the great Wall of China now finds itself in need of protection
Engineering Institute of Technology - How the Great Wall of China Stood the Test of Time
World History Encyclopedia - Great Wall of China

Britannica Websites

Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

Great Wall of China - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
Great Wall of China - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

Great Wall of China

wall, China

Also known as: Wan-li Ch’ang-ch’eng, Wanli Changcheng

Written and fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Nov. 12, 2026 •History

Great Wall of China, extensive bulwark erected in ancient China, one of the largest building-construction projects ever undertaken. The Great Wall actually consists of numerous walls—many of them parallel to each other—built over some two millennia across northern China and southern Mongolia. The most extensive and best-preserved version of the wall dates from the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) and runs for some 5,500 miles (8,850 km) east to west from Mount Hu near Dandong, southeastern Liaoning...

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