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Great Wall of China Facts for Kids

Here we list 10 fun facts on the Great Wall of China for kids, to help them know the location, length, function, and rumors of this ancient man-made wonder.

1. The Great Wall spans 15 provinces in northern China.

The Great Wall of China is located in northern China, spanning 15 provinces, stretching from the sea in the east to the desert in the west. The best-known sections of the Great Wall are around the capital, Beijing.

2. How to pronounce the Chinese name for the Great Wall? – 长城

长 cháng 城 chéng

长: It literally means long, which refers to the length of the Great Wall. It is the longest man-made structure in human history, so it is great.
城: It literally means “fortress”. Why not “wall”? It’s because of the fact that Great Wall of China isn’t actually a common wall. The wall, together with watchtowers, beacon towers, passes, etc., constitutes a complete defensive fortress.

Great Wall of China

3. The Great Wall of China is 21,196.18 km (13,170.70 mi) long.

We’ve mentioned that the Great Wall is very long just above. How long is it indeed? The Ming Great Wall we can see today has a total length of 8,851.8 km (5,500 mi). If measured by the Chinese traditional length unit “Li”, it is 17,703.6 Li. Therefore, there was the name “10,000-Li Wall”.

In fact, the total length of the Great Wall built in the past dynasties far exceeds this figure. China’s State Administration of Cultural Heritage announced in 2012 that the total length of the Great Wall built in different dynasties is 21,196.18 km (13,170.70 mi), equal to half the length of the Equator!

4. The Great Wall is 2,700 years old.

It is generally believed that the construction of the Great Wall began in the 7th century BC in the Spring and Autumn Period (770 BC - 476 BC). After Emperor Qin Shihuang unified China, he ordered the previous walls to be connected to form a very long connective defensive wall. Following Qin (221 BC - 207 BC), almost all the dynasties were engaged in the construction.

See more How old is Great Wall of China?

5. It was elected as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007.

In 2007, the Great Wall of China became one of the New Seven Wonders of the World and ranked first on the list. The following six are Petra, Jordan; Christ the Redeemer Statue, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Machu Picchu, Peru; Chichen Itza, Mexico; the Colosseum in Rome, Italy; and the Taj Mahal, India.

See more Great Wall of China - One of the 7 Wonders of the World

6. The Great Wall is not visible to the naked eye from space.

The Great Wall of China is quite long but not wide enough, so the rumor that people can see it with the naked eye from space is false.

See: Can you see the Great Wall of China from space?

7. What are the “small rooms” on the Great Wall?

When you walk along the Great Wall, you will notice many small square buildings. They are called watchtowers. Watchtowers are important military defense structures that provided shelter for soldiers. They were also excellent ancient military lookout points. Standing on a watchtower, one could have a clear view of the surrounding area, allowing soldiers to spot enemy movements from afar in a timely manner.

Great Wall Watch Tower

Beacon Tower on the Great Wall

8. What are the “small holes” on the Great Wall for?

They are shooting holes, which have two functions. On the one hand, they allow ancient soldiers to secretly observe the enemy's movements through the small holes. On the other hand, when the enemy approaches, they can quickly shoot through the holes to give the enemy a surprise attack.

9. Beacon towers were the Morse code of the Great Wall.

The beacon towers were the ancient Chinese version of Morse code. During the day, if soldiers spotted enemy forces, they would raise thick black smoke on the beacon towers of the Great Wall, making it visible to their comrades far away. At night, the smoke would be swallowed by the darkness. At such times, the soldiers would light huge fires, whose flames would illuminate the night sky, allowing them to quickly convey the message.

Beacon Tower on the Great Wall

The slide in Mutianyu

10. There are exciting slides at the Great Wall for kids to enjoy.

The Great Wall not only boasts historical relics but also offers special fun for children. Both the most famous Badaling Great Wall and Mutianyu Great Wall in Beijing are equipped with cable cars and slides. Besides strolling along the Great Wall, visitors can also enjoy the thrilling experiences of taking a high-altitude cable car and sliding down after the hiking on the wall.