The Great Wall as we see today was mostly built during the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644). It starts from Hushan Great Wall in the east to Jiayuguan Pass in the west traversing provinces of Liaoning, Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Gansu and Qinghai. This part shows the incredible diversity of scenery and ethnic people along the wall, and offers the most detailed introductions and travel tips regarding famous sections of the wall.

Badaling	Gubeikou	Huanghuacheng
Huangyaguan	Jiankou	Jiayuguan
Jinshanling	Juyongguan	Mutianyu
Shanhaiguan	Simatai	Yangguan
Yanmenguan	Yumenguan	Zhenbeitai

 More Sections

Making a trip to at least one section of the Great Wall should be a must for your China Trip. Quality tour plans make travel comfortable, memorable and enjoyable. Want to discover the charm of the wall with TravelChinaGuide? Please see our Memorable Highlights Tours. Longing for a real adventure? You can refer to Great Wall Hiking Tours which are carefully designed by experienced hikers. Besides wonderful Great Wall tours, here we offer practical travel tips including the best travel time, packing list as well as health and safety concerns.

 Recommended Tours including the visit to Great Wall:
Beijing Highlights Tour: 4 Days to Great Wall & Forbidden City
Beijing & Guilin Tour: 7 Days Travel of Forbidden City, Badaling Great Wall of Beijing, Li River in Guilin...
Beijing, Xian, Shanghai Tour: 9 Days Luxury China Trip to Badaling, Terracotta Warriors Museum, the Bund...

Excitement abounds regarding the origin, vicissitude and nature of the Great Wall of the Qin, Han, and Ming Dynasties.

The Great Wall was originally built in the Spring, Autumn, and Warring States Periods as a defensive fortification by the three states: Yan, Zhao and Qin. It went through constant extensions and repairs in later dynasties. In fact, it began as independent walls for different states when it was first built, and did not become the "Great" wall until the Qin Dynasty. Emperor Qin Shihuang succeeded in his effort to have the walls joined together to fend off the invasions from the Huns in the north after the unification of China. Since then, the Great Wall has served as a monument of the Chinese nation throughout history. A visit to the Wall is like a tour through the history backwards, giving tourists a chance to better understand the history of China.

The mystery of the construction of the wall is amazing. The construction, which drew heavily on the local resources for construction materials, was carried out in-line with the local conditions under the management of contract and responsibility system. A great army of manpower, composed of soldiers, prisoners, and local people, built the wall. The construction result demonstrates the manifestation of the wisdom and tenacity of the Chinese people. 

Great Wall carries a considerable part of Chinese culture. It has long been incorporated into Chinese mythology and popular symbolism. The most beautiful of several legends is about the collapse of a section of the Wall caused by Meng Jiangnu, who cried bitterly over the death of her husband after he died while helping to build the wall. This legend has been spread widely through textbooks, folk songs and traditional operas, and it is well-known in China.

Following a forty-five day long survey of 101 sections of the Wall in different provinces, the China Great Wall Academy reported on December 12, 2002 that the forces of nature and destruction at the hand of mankind are bringing about the gradual reduction of its extent with the result that less than 30% remains in good condition. The Academy has called for greater protection of this important relic.

 Shandan Great Wall in Danger
In July 2009, TravelChinaGuide (abbr. TCG) sent a survey group to investigate the condition of the Great Wall in Shandan County, Zhangye City, Gansu Province. This was our second visit there after 2002. The situation was alarming. After comparing the current wall to the wall pictures taken in 2002, it was found that many sections have become shorter, smaller or have disappeared entirely!