Great Wall Of China Facts For Kids – Great Wall Of China Information

The Great Wall of China is one of the New Seven Wonders of the world. It is the longest wall ever built in the history of mankind. Due to its immense length, it makes us wonder why such a long wall was built. Here we have gathered a complete collection of Great Wall Of China Facts For Kids that will answer all the questions that you might have about this wall. You are going to learn about its location, dimensions, length, its material, history, construction, purpose, cost, myths, and other interesting Great Wall Of China Information along with maps, pictures, and videos.

Great Wall Of China Facts For Kids

1. What Is the Great Wall Of China

• The Great Wall of China is an ancient sequence of fortifications across northern China.
• It is the most lengthy wall as well as the most lengthy man-made structure in the world.

2. Great Wall Of China Description – What Does The Great Wall Of China Look Like

• The Great Wall of China looks like the wriggling tail of a dragon.
• It seems like the body of a snake that is twistedly moving up and down across the hills, deserts, and grasslands.

3. Is The Great Wall Of China Still Standing

• The sections of the Great Wall that were built before the Ming dynasty were gradually destroyed and then disappeared completely due to human activities and natural disasters.
• The existing sections of the Great Wall were mostly built during the Ming Dynasty, of which only about 10% are in good and well-preserved condition.

4. Great Wall Of China Dimensions

• There are different dimensions of the Great Wall of China at different locations.
• However, its average width is 5 meters (16 feet 5 inches) at the top and 6 meters (20 feet) at the bottom.
• Its average height is 5 to 8 meters (16 to 26 feet).
• The entire length of the Great Wall of China is approximately 13,171 miles (21,196 km).

5. Where Is The Great Wall Of China Located – Great Wall Of China Location

• The Great Wall of China is located across the northern side of China.
• It extends from east to west and covers 15 provinces of China.
• In the east, it starts in the province of Hebei from Shanhai pass, which is one of the main passes in the Great Wall.
• In the west, it ends on the Jiayuguan or Jiayu pass in the province of Gansu.

Great Wall Of China Coordinates

• The Great Wall of China’s latitude at Huairou district (where the Mutianyu section of The Great Wall is located) is 40.431908, while its longitude is 116.570374.
• The Great Wall of China’s GPS coordinates is 40°25’ 54.8688’’ N and 116°34’ 13.3464’’ E.

6. Where Does The Great Wall Of China Start

• Jiayu Pass, which is the most undamaged and largest pass of the Great Wall, is the starting point of the Great Wall of China that was built by the Ming dynasty.
• It is the western end of the Great Wall and is located approximately 6 km southwest of Jiaquan city in the province of Gansu.

7. End Of The Great Wall Of China

• The endpoint of the Great Wall of China is a place at the Shanhai pass in Shanhaiguan district, which is commonly known as “The Old Dragon’s Head”.
• This is the eastern end of the Great Wall where it joins the Bohai Sea.
• It is located in the prefecture of Quinhandago in the north-eastern part of Hebei province, which is approximately 190 miles (300km) away from the eastern side of Beijing.

8. How Big Is The Great Wall Of China – Great Wall Of China Size

• According to the conclusion of an archaeological survey, the length of the Great Wall built during the Ming dynasty is 5,500 miles (8,850 km).
• However, another archaeological survey performed in 2012 by the National Cultural Heritage Administration (NCHA) of China evaluated the total length of the entire wall (along with its natural defensive barriers and trenches) to be 13,171 miles (21,196 km).

9. How Long Is The Great Wall Of China – Great Wall Of China Length

• The length of the entire Great Wall of China is 21,196 km (13,171 miles).

10. Why Is The Great Wall Of China So Long

• The answer to this question is present in the history of the Great Wall of China.
• During the Warring States Period (475 to 221 BC), seven kingdoms separately built walls for their defense.
• When the Qin Shi Huang became the emperor, who was the first king of United China, he connected all the walls and extended them as a protection against Huns.
• The succeeding rulers of each dynasty then continued the building of the wall to prevent the entry of any enemies in China.
• Among all the dynasties, the rulers of the Han dynasty kept constructing the wall during their era and made it so long.
• Most parts of the current wall were built by the Ming dynasty from 1368 to 1644 AD.

11. How Wide Is The Great Wall Of China

• The average width of the Great Wall of China at its base is 21 feet (6.4 meters).
• The average width of the Great Wall of China at the top is about 13 to 16 feet (4 to 5 meters), which is wide enough that 4 horse riders can ride on it at the same time.

12. How Many Kilometers Is The Great Wall Of China

• The length of the Great Wall of China in kilometers is 21,196 km.

13. How Many Miles Is The Great Wall Of China – Great Wall Of China Length In Miles

• The length of The Great Wall of China in miles is 13,171 miles.

14. How Long Is The Great Wall Of China In Feet

• The Great Wall of China is 69,540,682 feet long.

15. How Tall Is The Great Wall Of China – Great Wall Of China Height Facts

• The average height of the Great Wall of China is 20 to 13 feet (6 to 7 meters).
• While the highest part is about 46 feet (14 meters).

16. What Does The Great Wall Of China Separate

• The Great Wall of China was built as a barrier between the Warring States.
• During the period of the Qin dynasty, the wall was constructed and extended as the border of unified China that separated China from other countries.

17. When Was The Great Wall Of China Built

• The Great Wall of China is a combined work of various dynasties.
• The history of the Great Wall dates back about 771 to 476 BC.
• The first emperor of unified China established the Qin dynasty and started building the wall from 221 to 206 BC, but that wall does not exist today.
• The currently existing wall was mostly built by the Ming dynasty from 1368 to 1644.

18. What Year Was The Great Wall Of China Built – When Was The Great Wall Of China Finished

• The final construction of the Great Wall of China was finished in 1878, which was the late period of the Qing Dynasty.

19. When Did They Start Building The Great Wall Of China

• They started building the Great Wall of China in the Spring and Autumn Period, which was an era in the history of China from about 771 to 476 BC.

20. How Old Is The Great Wall Of China – Great Wall Of China Age

• The present-day Great Wall of China is 347 years old (built-in 1644).

21. How Long Did It Take To Build The Great Wall

• All the walls constructed by various dynasties were finished in 22 centuries.
• However, it is believed that the wall built by the Qin Dynasty took about 20 years.
• While the wall built by Ming Dynasty was completed in about 200 years.

22. Why Was The Great Wall Of China Build – Purpose Of The Great Wall Of China

• The main purpose of the Great Wall of China was defense.
• All the dynasties built it at different times to protect their kingdom from the invasion of Mongols and other foreign invaders.

23. What Was The Great Wall Of China Used For

• The Great Wall of China was used for military defense.
• The watchtowers on the wall were used for communication.
• In case of any danger, the person on a watchtower used to light a fire at night and raised smoke in the daytime to inform other watchtowers and they did the same to forward the signal.
• It was also a means of faster transportation.

24. Did The Great Wall Of China Work

• Yes, the wall worked successfully to a certain extent.
• It helped to stop the invasion of nomadic groups and also served as a good observation post.
• However, at some points in history, the Great wall became unsuccessful to halt the invasion of enemies.
• A famous example of failure is the invasion of Manchu Qing in 1644, who entered via the Shanhai Pass gates and replaced the Ming dynasty as the emperor of China.

25. Who Made The Great Wall Of China – Who Built The Great Wall Of China

• Many rulers of several dynasties built the Great Wall of China.
• They utilized soldiers, slaves, war prisoners, forcibly recruited countrymen and criminals as a labor force for the construction.

26. What Dynasty Built The Great Wall Of China – Great Wall Of China Dynasty

• During the Warring States Period (476 to 221 BC), the rulers built walls as a border of their state.
• When Qin Shi Huang became emperor of United China, he established the Qin Dynasty (221 to 206 BC) and linked all the walls as a unified great wall.
• The emperor Han Wudi of the Han Dynasty (206 BC to 220 AD) expanded the wall to the Yumen Pass on the west side.
• The Ming Dynasty (1368 to 1644 AD) then rebuilt the Great Wall, a majority of which exists currently.

27. What Is The Great Wall Of China Made Of – Great Wall Of China Materials

• The Great Wall of China is made of earth, stones, wood, bricks, and sand.
• The building materials were mainly obtained from the local sources and were used according to the condition of the construction site, climate, and period in which the wall was built.
• So it can be seen that the wall is made of stones in mountains, tamped earth in plains, and wooden materials along with sand in the desert region.
• Bricks were utilized in the wall during the period of the Tang Dynasty (618 to 907 AD).

28. How Many People Build the Great Wall Of China

• The exact number of people who built the Great Wall of China is unknown.
• However, historical records show that approximately 300,000 soldiers and 500,000 other people (slaves, war prisoners, and other forcibly recruited citizens) constructed the initial Qin wall.
• Other historical data reveals that 1,800,000 people were involved in the wall built by the Northern Qi Dynasty (550 to 577 AD) from Xiakou to Hangzhou.
• While a section of the wall in Nei Mongol (Inner Mongolia) built by the Sui Dynasty (581 to 618 AD) needed about 1,000,000 laborers.

29. How Many People Died Building The Great Wall Of China

• During the building process of the Great Wall of China, more than 1 million people lost their lives.
• Due to this reason, it was sometimes called “the longest graveyard on the earth”.

30. Great Wall Of China Cost

• To estimate the cost of the Great Wall of China per the current values, we compare it with the cost of the wall that the US is building along with the Mexican border (which is 1 to 5 million dollars per mile).
• The Great Wall of China is 13,171 miles long, so if we multiply it by 1 to 5 million, the net cost would be 13 to 65 billion dollars.

31. Why Is The Great Wall Of China Famous

• The Great Wall of China is famous because it is the world’s longest man-made defensive structure.

32. Significance Of The Great Wall Of China

• The Great Wall of China was very significant for the Chinese rulers of each dynasty, as it had a great influence on their power during their ruling era.
• Nowadays, it is very significant for the people of China as it is a magnificent man-made masterpiece of construction, art, and engineering, and has a special place in their culture.

33. History Of The Great Wall Of China – China Wall History Facts for Kids

• The history of the Great Wall of China dates back to the eras of Spring and Autumn (771 to 476 BC) and Warring States (475 to 221 BC) when several states constructed fortifications for their defense.
• When Qin Shi Huang became the emperor of Unified China, he established the Qin Dynasty (221 to 206 BC) and linked all the walls to protect his newly founded empire from the invasion of Eurasian nomads.
• Qin’s wall was extended from the northwestern Chinese region Gansu to the coastline of southern Manchuria.
• The Han Dynasty (202 BC to 220 AD), which was the next imperial Chinese dynasty after Qin, made the wall longer that stretched from the Yang Pass in the south to the Yumen Pass to the north.
• After the Han Dynasty, the dynasties of the Northern Qi (550 to 574 AD) and the Sui (589 to 618 AD) rebuilt and extended the walls, however, they also changed their routes.
• The Ming Dynasty (1368 to 1644 AD) then rebuilt 5,500 miles (8,850 km) long wall that began in the west from Jiayu Pass and ended in Shanhai Pass to the sea.
• The Ming Wall then continuously went and ended at the Hushan Great Wall in Manchuria region.
• The majority of the present-day wall is the Ming Wall.

34. Great Wall Of China Timeline Facts for Kids

• The following table is a brief description of the construction timeline of the Great Wall of China.

35. How Was The Great Wall Of China Built – Building The Great Wall Of China

• The Great Wall of China is the greatest of all ancient man-made construction works.
• Millions of soldiers, war prisoners, and other people took part in its construction.
• More than a billion tons of stones, soil, and bricks were collected, manufactured, and transported employing animals and ordinary rope, basket, and wood techniques.

36. Is The Great Wall Of China Visible From Space – Great Wall Of China From Space Facts for Kids

• It was the earliest myth that the Great Wall of China is visible from the moon (the distance between moon and earth is 238,606 miles (384,000 km) and space.
• However, it was a false claim and the truth is that the Great Wall of China is not even clearly visible from the low earth orbit, which is at about 100 miles (160 km) altitude.

37. Pictures Of The Great Wall Of China From Space

38. Great Wall Of China Highest Point Facts for Kids

• The highest point of the Great Wall of China is located at the Heita mountain in Beijing.
• It is at an elevation of about 1,534 meters (5,033 feet) above sea level.

39. Beijing To Great Wall

• Beijing is the best place to visit the Great Wall of China, as the most popular sections of the Great Wall like Mutianyu, Badaling, Simatai, Juyongguan, and Jinshanling are located at a drive of only 1 to 2 hours from downtown Beijing.
• The total length of the Great Wall in Beijing is about 356 miles (573 km), of which 326 miles (526 km) is the Ming Wall.

40. Great Wall Jinshanling

• The Jinshanling is a 10.5 km long section of the Great Wall, which is located in the hilly zone of Hebei Province – 125 km northeast of Beijing.
• This section of the wall was constructed during the Ming Dynasty, and on its eastern end, it is linked to the Simatai section of the Great Wall.

41. Badaling Great Wall

• Badaling is a section of the Great Wall located in the district of Yanqing, which is about 50 miles (80 km) away from Beijing city.
• This section was also built during the Ming Dynasty and is the most visited section of the Great Wall.

42. Simatai Great Wall

• Simatai is also a section of the Great Wall, which is located in the Miyun district – 120 km northeast of Beijing.
• The total length of this section is 5.4 km along with 35 beacon towers.
• Initially, the Simatai section was constructed by the Northern Qi Dynasty (550 to 577), however, it was rebuilt by the Ming Dynasty during the rule of Emperor Hongwu.

43. Great Wall Of China Mutianyu

• Mutianyu section of the Great Wall is located 43 miles (70 km) away from downtown Beijing in the district of Huairou.
• This section is linked with Lianhuachi in the east and Jiankou in the west.
• Mutianyu section was originally built during the period of the Northern Qi Dynasty and was then rebuilt by the Ming Dynasty.
• Among all the sections of the Great Wall of China, the Mutianyu section is of the best quality and well-preserved.

44. Great Wall Of China Map Facts for Kids

45. Great Wall Of China Tour – Great Wall Of China Tourism Facts for Kids

• The Great Wall of China is one of the most famous tourist sites in the world.
• More than 10 million tourists visit the Great Wall of China every year.
• In 2013, the number of tourists that visited only the Mutianyu and Badaling sections of the wall was 10,720,000.
• The best time to visit the Great Wall of China is in May and October.

46. How To Go To The Great Wall Of China – How To Get To The Great Wall Of China

• To go to the Great Wall of China, the best destination is Beijing, as all the well-preserved and most popular sections of the Great Wall are located at a drive of only 1 to 2 hours from Beijing city.

47. Walking The Great Wall Of China – How Long To Walk The Great Wall Of China

• As the total length of the Great Wall of China is 21,196 km, it would take approximately 18 months to walk across the entire wall.

48. Great Wall Of China Myths

• One of the popular myths about the Great Wall of China was that it is visible from space and the moon. However, this myth was debunked by several astronauts and even by the “space hero” of China “Yang Liwei”.
• More than 1.3 billion people of China do not call the wall “The Great Wall”.
• It was also a wide thought that the wall present today dates back to the era of the first emperor of unified China, Qin Shi Huang (221 BC). However, the truth is that most sections of the current wall were built during the Ming Dynasty (1358 – 1644 AD).
• It is also a popular myth that the wall was impenetrable and kept the enemies at bay for centuries. But the fact is that the wall never stopped invasions on several occasions throughout its history and even in 1644, a general in the Ming army opened a gate for invaders and the Ming Dynasty came to an end.
• Another popular myth about the wall was that it is filled with the dead bodies of forced laborers who died during its construction. In an ancient Chinese folktale “Lady Meng Jiang”, a woman’s tears had enough power to collapse a part of the wall, as her husband died during its construction and was buried within it. However, this myth was also debunked by the archaeologists, as they did not find any signs of human remains within the wall.

49. Interesting Facts About The Great Wall Of China – Fun Facts About The Great Wall Of China For Kids

• The Great Wall of China is the world’s longest wall as well as the most extensive human-made structure in the world.
• The Great Wall of China is not included in the seven wonders of the ancient world, however, it is one of the seven wonders of the Middle-Age world.
• It was believed that the Great Wall of China is visible from the moon and space. However, it is invisible from the moon or space but can be seen from the Low Earth Orbit with aid.
• The Great Wall of China is sometimes called “the longest cemetery on earth” as more than one million people died during its construction.
• Every year, more than 10 million tourists visit the Great Wall. In 2013, more than 10 million tourists visited only the Mutianyu and Badaling section of the Great Wall.
• In 1987, the Great Wall of China was selected as a World Cultural Heritage site by UNESCO.
• The Great Wall of China was not continuous and its discontinuity encouraged the Mongols’ invasion of most parts of northern China under the leadership of Genghis Khan.
• According to a folktale, the course of the Great Wall of China was traced out by a dragon which was then followed by the builders.
• During the period of the Cultural Revolution of China (1966 to 1976), the Great Wall was seen as a symbol of tyranny, and the citizens were encouraged to use its bricks for the construction of their homes.
• If the length of all the Chinese defense walls that were constructed during the previous 2,000 years (which is about 50,000 km (31,070 miles)) is compared with the circumference of the earth (which is 40,000 km (24,854 miles)), the length of the walls would be greater.