Where is the Great Wall of China located?
Where is the Great Wall of China?
Great Wall of China location is mainly in northern China, and there are a few sections in southern China called southern Great Wall. The vast majority of the Great Wall we see today was built in Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644); they are mostly preserved in Beijing.
Total Length: 21,196 kilometers (13,170 miles) Course & Coverage: Start from Jiayuguan Pass in Gansu Province in west China and end at Hushan Mountain in Liaoning Province in the east, traversing 15 provinces/ regions including Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Shandong, Henan, Shaanxi and Qinghai, leaving 43,721 heritage sites including the walls, ditches and passes.
Where does the Great Wall of China start and end?
The Great Wall stretches from west to east in northern China. The current existing Ming Great Wall zigzags from Jiayuguan Pass in Gansu in the west to Hushan Mountain in Liaoning in the east.
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| Jiayuguan Pass |
Great Wall of China Start: The First Fire Tower of the Great Wall, in Jiayuguan of Gansu in northwest China
The First Fire Tower of the Great Wall is also known as the First Pier, because it is not only the first pier of the Jiayuguan Great Wall, but also the first pier of Ming Great Wall in the west.
The west side of the First Pier is the vast desert, to the north is the majestic Jiayuguan city, the rolling Qilian Mountain is to the south, and the Taolai River is flowing at its feet.
As an important military fortress of Great Wall, the First Fire Tower was built to watch out the enemies and transmit military information, hence to resist enemies.
Currently, only the earthen base of the First Fire Tower has been left, with a height of about 10 meters (33 feet) and in irregular square shape.
End of Great Wall of China: Hushan Great Wall, in Dandong of Liaoning in northeast China
People once thought that east end of the Great Wall was Shanhaiguan Pass. However, archaeologists discovered the continuous ancient walls and base relics near the Hushan Mountain in Dandong City of Liaoning Province in the 1980s, and finally confirmed that the Hushan Great Wall extends more than 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) to the east to connect with Shanhaiguan in 1990s, hence the real end of Great Wall of China is Hushan Great Wall.
Where to See the Great Wall of China
Which city is the Great Wall of China located? The main sections of the Great Wall are concentrated in Beijing, such as Badaling, Mutianyu, Jinshanling, Simatai, Juyongguan and Jiankou.
Recommended Tours
How far is the Great Wall of China from major cities？
Shanghai to the Great Wall Distance: about 1,200 km (750 mi) by flight and 1,350-1,500 km (850 - 950 mi) by train;
How to Travel from Shanghai
→ Take a flight or train to Beijing
→ Take Airport Express, subway or bus to Dengshengmen/ Huangtudian Railway Station/ Dongzhimen
→ Take a S2 train or bus to Great Wall Hong Kong to the Great Wall Distance: about 2,000 km (1,250 mi) by flight and 2,500 km by train (1,550 mi);
How to travel from Hong Kong
→ Get to Beijing by flight or train
→ Get to Deshengmen/ Huangtudian Railway Station/ Dongzhimen by Airport Express, subway or bus
→ Get to Great Wall by S2 train or bus
Other Famous Great Wall Sections:
Shanhaiguan Pass: First Pass under Heaven Laolongtou Great Wall: Where the Great Wall extends to the sea Jiayuguan Great Wall: Western end of Ming Great Wall Dunhuang Great Wall: The best preserved Great Wall of Han Dynasty (202 BC - 220 AD)
Further Reading
How long is the Great Wall of China?
Which one is better, Badaling or Mutianyu?