In China, “Great Wall” is often used with another word, “Wanli,” meaning 50,000 kilometers. But this is just a general idea, how long is the Great Wall of China exactly?
Well, the answer varies depending on the specific Great Wall you refer to. As we know, the most existing Great Walls were constructed in the Ming dynasty (1368 – 1644), which started from Hu Mountain in Liaoning Province (the northeast corner of China, passed through Hebei, Tianjin, Beijing, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Gansu, and eventually ended in Qinghai (the northwest corner of China). If we only measure its length, the exact number is 8851.8 kilometers.
However, almost all the dynasties before Ming had also built their own Great Walls. Although most of them were devastated in wars or eroded by rains and winds, we can still find relics in many northern provinces. In 2012, after extensive research, investigation, and fieldwork, the National Bureau of Cultural Relics in China released its conclusion. If we add up the lengths of all the Great Walls in different periods, the number is 22196.18 kilometers. That is over half of the length of the equator.
In conclusion, if you only measure the Great Wall built in the Ming dynasty, the length is 8851.5 kilometers. But if you add up all the Great Walls, the length is 22196.18 kilometers.
Other facts about the Great Wall
- When was the Great Wall of China built?
- Which dynasty started the Great Wall?
- How long did it take to build the Great Wall of China?
- Who built the Great Wall of China?
- Why was the Great Wall of China built
- How many workers did it take to build the Great Wall of China?
- Why is the Great Wall of China important?
- Where is the Great Wall of China
- Where does the Great Wall of China end?
- What major river crosses the Great Wall?
- How tall and wide is the Great Wall of China?
- What was the Great Wall of China made of
- Are there bodies in the Great Wall of China?