Great Wall of China Facts for Kids

A Picture of the Great Wall of China
  • Name: Great Wall of China
  • Location: Huairou District, China, Asia
  • GPS Cordinates: 40.68°N 117.23°E
  • Building Type: Stone Fortification
  • Built: Between 7th Century BCE and 14th Century CE
  • Annual Visitors: 10 million (estimated annual average)
  • Annual Revenue: Unknown

22 Great Wall of China Facts for Kids

  1. The Great Wall of China is a name used to describe a collection of fortifications throughout China.
  2. The Great Wall of China was built by more than seven different Chinese dynasties.
  3. The Great Wall of China was started by ancient Chinese states as far back as the 7th Century BCE.
  4. The Great Wall of China was completed by the Ming dynasty between 1368 and 1644 CE.
  5. Contrary to the name, the Great Wall of China is not just a wall. It’s a series of walls, barracks, fortresses and trenches.
  6. It’s estimated that the Great Wall of China reached a length of 13,170 miles.
  7. Today, over a third of the Great Wall of China has disappeared.
  8. The Great Wall of China spanned across 15 different regions in China. They include Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Inner Mongolia, Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shandong, Henan, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia, Qinghai, and Xinjiang.
  9. The Great Wall of China is the longest manmade structure ever created.
  10. The average height of the Great Wall of China is between 20 and 23 feet and the maximum height is 46 feet.
  11. The average width of the Great Wall of China is a bit over 21 feet and a maximum width of 30 feet.
  12. The most popular and well known part of the Great Wall of China is the Ming Great Wall.
  13. The Ming Great Wall had a length of about 5,500 miles.
  14. It’s claimed that around one million soldiers guarded the Great Wall of China during the Ming dynasty.
  15. It’s estimated that over 10 million tourists visit the Great Wall of China every year.
  16. Throughout the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) the Great Wall was stripped of bricks and used to build homes.
  17. In 1987, the Great Wall of China was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
  18. In 1999, the Great Wall Marathon was established. It’s a marathon that uses the Great Wall of China.
  19. The Great Wall of China is sometimes considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages.
  20. A common myth is the Great Wall of China was built with human bones and bodies. This is false, but they did mix sticky rice in with the brick and stone mortar. This has helped the Great Wall to stand for thousands of years.
  21. A common myth is you can see the Great Wall of China from space with the human eye. The European Space Agency and U.S. astronaut Gene Cernan claim it’s possible to see the Great Wall of China from low Earth orbit, between 100 and 200 miles. However, you need to know where to look and need favorable atmosphere conditions and weather.
  22. A common myth is you can see the Great Wall of China from the moon. The Great Wall of China can vaguely be seen at low Earth orbit from up to 200 miles, the concept of seeing it 239,000 miles away isn’t plausible.

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