Where is the Great Wall of China located?
The Great Wall of China location is mainly in northern China, and there are a few sections in southern China called the 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.
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.
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| Where is the Great Wall of China on Map? |
Great Wall of China on a World Map
History Map of Great Wall in Different Dynasties
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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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.
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| Jiayuguan Pass |
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 the Great Wall, the First Fire Tower was built to watch out for 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 an irregular square shape.
End of Great Wall of China: Hushan Great Wall, in Dandong of Liaoning in northeast China
People once thought that the 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 the Great Wall of China is Hushan Great Wall.
Recommended Tours
Which city is closest to the Great Wall of China?
Beijing is the closest city to the Great Wall, and most of the well-preserved and majestic Great Wall winds around Beijing. In addition, you can also take a plane or high-speed rail from other major cities in China to visit the Great Wall in 1 to 2 days.
How far is the Great Wall of China from downtown Beijing?
| Sections | Drive Time |
|---|---|
| Badaling | 1.5 hours |
| Mutianyu | 1.5 hours |
| Simatai | 2 hours |
| Juyongguan | 1.5 hours |
| Jinshanling | 2.5 hours |
| Jiankou | 2.5 hours |
| Gubeikou | 3 hours |
See: How to Get to the Great Wall of China from Beijing
Where to fly to visit the Great Wall of China?
| Cities | Flight/high-speed train time to Beijing | Driving time from Beijing's airport or railway station to the Great Wall |
|---|---|---|
| Shanghai | 2 - 2.5 hours by fight; 4.5 - 6 hours by high-speed train | 1.5 - 2.5 hours |
| Hong Kong | 3 - 4 hours by fight; 8 hours by high-speed train | |
| Xi'an | 2 - 2.5 hours by fight; 4 - 6 hours by high-speed train | |
| Chengdu | 2.5 - 3 hours by fight; 7 - 9 hours by high-speed train | |
| Shenzhen | 3 - 3.5 hours by fight; 8 - 8.5 hours by high-speed train | |
| Guangzhou | 3 - 3.5 hours by fight; 7 - 10 hours by high-speed train |
More to see:
How to Get to the Great Wall of China from Beijing Airport
How to Get to the Great Wall from Hong Kong
How to Travel From Shanghai to Great Wall of China
Further Reading
How long is the Great Wall of China?
Which one is better, Badaling or Mutianyu?
Fun Facts about Great Wall: 25 Things You didn’t Know
Great Wall of China Facts for Kids
Great Wall of China - One of the 7 Wonders of the World