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How long is the Great Wall of China?

21,196.18 kilometers (13,170.70 miles)

The total length of the Great Wall of China is 21,196.18 kilometers (13,170.70 miles), approximately half the length of the Earth's equator. This architectural marvel encompasses a staggering 43,721 relics, including 10,051 sections of wall, 1,764 sections of moat, 29,510 towers, 2,211 passes and forts, and 185 other remnants.

Among all the historical iterations of the Great Wall, the Ming Great Wall (1368 - 1644) stands out as the best-preserved. Stretching from Hushan in Liaoning Province to Jiayuguan in Gansu Province, it spans 8,851.8 kilometers (5,500.3 miles), with around 526 kilometers (327 miles) located within Beijing.

How was the length of the Great Wall determined?

The endeavor to measure the Great Wall commenced in 2006. Thousands of experts from cultural heritage and surveying and mapping departments joined forces. Employing techniques like GPS positioning and on-site mapping of crucial coordinates, they completed an exhaustive on-site investigation in four years. Subsequently, leveraging the vast trove of field data, they conducted identification, drafting, and measurement on computers. Finally, after a meticulous verification process by experts, the definitive measurement of 21,196.18 kilometers (13,170.70 miles) was revealed in 2012.

Length of the Great Wall in Each Province

The wall relics are mainly distributed in 15 provinces and regions, including Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Shandong, Henan, Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, Ningxia, and Xinjiang. The lengths vary significantly by region:

Province	Length (kilometers)	Length (miles)
Inner Mongolia	7,300 km	4,500 mi
Gansu	3,600 km	2,200 mi
Hebei	2,400 km	1,500 mi
Shaanxi	1,800 km	1,100 mi
Shanxi	1,240 km	770 mi
Liaoning	1,220 km	760 mi
Ningxia	965 km	600 mi
Shandong	640 km	400 mi
Beijing	520 km	320 mi
Heilongjiang	420 km	260 mi
Jilin	360 km	220 mi
Henan	390 km	240 mi
Qinghai	320 km	200 mi
Tianjin	35 km	20 mi
Xinjiang	0, Only watchtowers	0

Great Wall of China Length for Famous Sections in Beijing

Some of the most renowned sections of the Great Wall in Beijing also have distinct lengths:

Section	Length (kilometers)	Length (miles)
Badaling	3.7 km	2.3 mi
Mutianyu	5.4 km	3.4 mi
Simatai	5.4 km	3.4 mi
Jinshanling	10.5 km	6.5 mi
Jiankou	>20 km	>12.4 mi
Huanghuacheng	12.4 km	7.7 mi
Juyongguan	4.1 km	2.6 mi

Mutianyu Great Wall in Beijing

How Long is the Great Wall Built in Different Dynasties?

The Great Wall underwent various expansions and reconstructions throughout Chinese history, leading to different lengths in various dynasties:

Dynasty	Length (kilometers)	Length (miles)
Pre-Qin Period (770 BC - 221 BC)	3,800 km	2,360 mi
Qin & Han Dynasties (221 BC - 220 AD)	3,560 km	2,210 mi
Wei, Jin, Northern and Southern Dynasties (220 - 589)	1,120 km	695 mi
Sui & Tang Dynasties (581 - 907)	366 km	227 mi
Jin Dynasty (1115 - 1234)	3,900 km	2,420 mi
Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644)	8,851 km	5,500 mi

Badaling Great Wall, Beijing

Length for Different Preservation Status

Regrettably, approximately one-third of the Great Wall has vanished over time. While sections like Badaling, Mutianyu, and Juyongguan evoke images of grandeur and splendor, these well-preserved and restored parts constitute less than 2% of the remaining structure nationwide. The condition of the rest, especially those constructed with rammed earth, is cause for concern:

Preservation Condition	Total Length	Length of Ming Great Wall
Good	2,000 km (1,250 mi)	513.5 km (320 mi)
Average	4,200 km (2,610 mi)	1104.4 km (686 mi)
Poor	3,400 km (2,110 mi)	1494.7 km (928.8 mi)
Very poor	5,000 km (3,110 mi)	1185.4 km (736.6 mi)
Disappeared	6,500 km (4,040 mi)	1961.6 km (1,218.9 mi)