Home / China Great Wall / Sections
Great Wall Sections
Like a giant dragon, the Great Wall meanders over deserts, grasslands, and mountains until finally arriving at its destination - Bohai Gulf. Zigzagging 8,851.8 km (5,500 miles) from Jiayuguan Pass in the west to Hushan Mountain in Liaoning in the east, the wall crosses over ten provinces and cities, including Qinghai, Gansu, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin, and Liaoning. The Great Wall had witnessed many changes through several thousand years of history, from the Warring States to the Ming Dynasty. 
Click the map to enlarge it, or
go for more Great Wall Maps
Famous Sections of Great Wall
Beijing Great Wall:
In Beijing, there are many relics of the Great Wall, most of which were built around 1540. The notable sections include:
 Badaling Great Wall | Mutianyu Great Wall | Juyongguan Pass |
| Simatai Great Wall | Jinshanling Great Wall | Gubeikou |
| Huanghuacheng | Jiankou | Shuiguan |
Gansu Great Wall: In Gansu, numerous cultural relics of the Silk Road can be found, such as the Mogao Caves and Maijishan Grottoes. Also it played a very important role in the ancient military defense. A lot of Great Wall relics have been found in this region. The most famous one is Jiayuguan Pass in Jiayuguan City, which is the western beginning of the Ming Great Wall. Additionally, the Overhanging Great Wall is worth a visit.
| Dunhuang Great Wall | Jiayuguan | Juyan Fortress |
| Yangguan | Yumenguan | Overhanging Great Wall |
| Shandan Great Wall |
Hebei Great Wall:There are a large number of Great Wall relics in Hebei Province. Most of them were built in the Ming Dynasty. In the east of Hebei stand the Great Wall of Laolongtou, Shanhaiguan Pass, Xifengkou&Sandaoguan, Zijingguan, Jiaoshan, Qingshankou, Malanguan, etc. In northwestern Hebei, you can see Zhangjiakou, Changyukou and Qingbiankou Great Wall. And in the southwest of Hebei, Wulonggou, Futuyu, and Chajianling can be seen.
| Shanhaiguan Pass | Xifengkou & Sandaoguan |
| Zijingguan Pass | Great Wall in Zhangjiakou City |
Inner Mongolia Great Wall: Inner Mongolia boasts the largest number of Great Wall relics. Its total length covers one third of the whole length of China Great Wall. However, a great many remains were destroyed and even some of them have died out. For instance, in the area of Juyanhai Lake, ten fire towers have disappeared.
Liaoning Great Wall: It's thought that the eastern beginning of the Great Wall is the Shanhaiguan Pass in Hebei. However, in recent years, people find that its beginning is in Liaoning Province. Most of the Great Wall in Liaoning was built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). In that period, the Great Wall was divided into nine districts, called Nine Important Towns on the Border. Liaoning Great Wall was administered by Liaodong Town. Now, it's uncommon to see its relics. The remains mainly distribute in the northwest of this region.
Hushan Jiumenkou Ningxia Great Wall: In Ningxia, the Sanguankou (Three Passes) Great Wall is highly recommended. In the Ming Dynasty, the Tartar and Wala tribes of Mongolia often came into the northwest China from Sanguankou. For the sake of safety, Sanguankou Great Wall was built.
Shaanxi Great Wall: In Shaanxi, the Great Wall mainly distributes in Shenmu, Fugu, Jingbian and Hengshan in Yulin, Wuqi and Fuxian in Yanan and Dali, Heyang, Pucheng, Chengcheng, Baishui and Haicheng in Weinan. In length of more than 2,000 kilometers, Shaanxi Great Wall was built ranging from the Warring States Period to the Ming Dynasty.
| Great Wall in Yulin | Great Wall of Wei Dynasty |
| Zhenbeitai |
Shanxi Great Wall: In history, Shanxi was a point of battle. Thus, a lot of Great Wall remains can be found there. The Great Wall there comprises inner and outer Great Wall. The inner Great Wall is the second line of defence. In Shanxi, many famous passes can be found, such as
| Guguan Pass Great Wall | Niangziguan | Ningwuguan |
| Pianguan & Pingxingguan | Yanmenguan |
Tianjin Great Wall: The Great Wall in Tianjin was mostly built in the Ming Dynasty. And most of them were stone-structured. Only the Huangyaguan Great Wall was made up of bricks. Tianjin Great Wall has a complete defensive system, including walls, terraces, passes, fire towers, fire pools, ovens and fortresses.
Huangyaguan Taipingzhai
Copyright© 1998-2009 TravelChinaGuide.com, All rights reserved.
Travelers' Voices on Great Wall Sections
1.
Jun. 20,2009 19:47 Reply
Mr.bud said:
Can you advice me on how many hours I should spend on Mutianyu? I plan to visit there in July.
Jun. 21,2009 02:39
Ms.Turdie replied:
Four hours is enough, good trip!
Jul. 13,2009 06:46
Ms.JOURNEYBEIJING(China) replied:
Excuse me, but unless you book a private car, 4 hours is not enough, I am afraid. I have climbed Mutianyi 5 times already, and once in early spring.
We were quite lucky in that it had snowed its last snow that month in April and all the conifers were layered with snows like frosting on a cake. From Dong Zhi Men, it took us nearly an hour an 45 minutes to get there. We arrived at about 1000 hours. It was wonderful climbing up (Mutianyi is actually the easiest of all to climb - if you are not fit, you can take a cable car ride up and walk down). We stayed for 2 hours. By the time we came down, the sun was up, and the snow started melting. We felt like we were walking under the rain. My cheeky friends would pull on the leaves of the pines sending showers of snow those of us who were unsuspecting. But it was fun nonetheless....
Those of you who plan to go should always take into consideration congestion and such. It is generally crowded except in the winter. Anything that takes an hour usually ends up from anywhere between 1.5 -2.5 hours each way - if you are taking public transportation to get there that is. Even cars get jammed. Good luck@
Sep. 12,2009 15:33
Mrs.lensecate(china) replied:
Dear mr. Bud,
dotnt lisenn to the ms. Turdie excuse me but four hours in not enough unless you bnook a private car. i agree with ms. journeybeijing. thanks not to be mean but you need longer time.
2.
Sep. 12,2009 15:26 Reply
Ms.heinzalis(new york) said:
I've been to this monument and it reminded me of the people who fought in the war for a right! Its an amazing sight but its super long i hiked the entire wall. Did you know that there is dead bodies in the Great Wall of china as the empire who ruled at that time was forcing slaves to build it, every person who died was buried in that wall. so who knows who many bodies r in that wall, maybe thousands. Well i highly reconmend going there!!!
3.
Sep. 12,2009 15:19 Reply
Ms.blank(texas) said:
the Great Wall of China is large!!!!!!
4.
Jul. 30,2009 00:19 Reply
Mr.murray(india) said:
where can i get them
Aug. 1,2009 19:39
Mr.Robin replied:
They are located in northern part of China.
5.
Jul. 26,2009 06:57 Reply
Ms.shiela(philippines) said:
I WOULD LIKE TO GO TO SHANGHAI ON NOVEMEBER. IS IT POSSIBLE TO GO TO GREAT WALL WHILE I WAS THERE IN SHANGHAI?....WOULD A 3 DAYS TRIP ENOUGH TO SEE THE PLACES?
Jul. 26,2009 22:19
Mr.Vinda replied:
Yes, it is possible to see the wall from Beijing to Shanghai within three days. On the first day, you take a flight from Shanghai to Beijing. The flight journey will take about two hours. And when you arrive in Beijing, find a hotel to lodge in and have a rest. On the second, you can spend half or near one day to visit the Great Wall (for example Badaling). And on the last day, go back to Shanghai.
6.
Jul. 19,2009 21:46 Reply
Ms.Help said:
Hi,
I would be going to Mutianyi and the Ming tomb during christmas this year. I would like to know whether this two place is close by and if i would book a car for a day how much will that cost and where to book it. I also would like to ask if we can put our luggage in beijing airport for a day?
Jul. 20,2009 01:25
Mr.answer replied:
In fact, Badaling is closer to Ming tomb. Why not choose Badaling Great Wall? Mutianyu is located in Huairou District and the Ming Tomb is located in Changping District. Most people would spend two days for a not tight trip. It is not possible to visit the two places in one day. Can you make a change?
You can put your luggage in beijing airport for a day, and it is charged by hour or by day.
7.
Jul. 12,2009 14:57 Reply
Mr.Bosch(USA) said:
I will be traveling to Shanghai in February and would like to see a part of the Great Wall. What is my best option for a two day trip?
Jul. 12,2009 21:27
Ms.Judy replied:
Hi, I suppose your Great Wall here means the famous Badaling Great Wall, and my advice on your two days tour in Beijing is in this way. To visit outside the city on the first day and to visit the downtown Beijing on the second day. On the first day, visit Badaling Great Wall in the morning and the Ming Tombs in the afternoon. On the second day, visit Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven and Summer Palace. These four places are the brilliant condensation of Chinese construction, and for the rest time, you can stroll in the street, visit Hutong and taste local food, especially the Peking Roast Duck. Sounds perfect?
8.
Jul. 7,2009 02:11 Reply
Ms.Help(Singapore) said:
I want to go to the Great Wall of China in Winter. Is the view there nice? I dunno which part of the wall should I visit. I wanted to go Badaling, Jurongguan and Mutianyi. How long does it takes to each of these walls. I want to go to Zhoukoudian after my climb at the wall so which one should I go.
Jul. 7,2009 03:28
Ms.Anna replied:
Yes, the view will be unique in snow, but it is cold and windy on the wall, and when it snows, the steps would be very slippery. If you have to go there in winter, I suggest you go to Badaling for its grand and easy transportation. Badaling, Juyongguan and Mutianyu are all about one hour drive from Beijing.
9.
May. 24,2009 02:35 Reply
Mr.zana(malaysia) said:
wow........great wall of china are the best world 4 ever!!keep in touch
10.
Apr. 23,2009 22:07 Reply
Ms.Stella(Canada) said:
Mutianyu is the my favor section to go, especially when you travel with kids. Try to take the cable car up to Fortress No 14, walk to No 6, and then take the lift chair or slide down from there. The kids like it a lot.
Apr. 29,2009 13:30
Ms.murray(usa) replied:
free plane tickets?
Apr. 29,2009 23:01
Ms.Moi replied:
To Ms.murray,
Well, I guess you mean the cable car ticket,right?
The cable car costs CNY 35 for a single trip and CNY 50 for a round trip.