Great Wall of China Tour Guide

About
The Great Wall of China, one of the greatest wonders of the world, was listed as a World Heritage by UNESCO in 1987. Just like a gigantic dragon, it winds up and down across deserts, grasslands, mountains and plateaus, stretching approximately 21,196 kilometers from east to west of China.

With a history of about 2,700 years, some of the Great Wall sections are now in ruins or have disappeared. However, the Great Wall of China is still one of the most appealing attractions all around the world owing to its architectural grandeur and historical significance.

Great Wall Facts
Chinese Name: 长城/万里长城
Chinese Pinyin: Cháng Chéng/Wàn Lǐ Cháng Chéng
Length: 21,196.18 kilometers (13,170.70 miles)
Construction Period: 2,500 years from the Spring and Autumn Period (770 – 476 BC) to 1878 in late Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911)

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 the fact that Great Wall of China isn’t actually a common wall. The wall, together with watchtowers, beacon towers and passes, etc, constitute a complete defensive fortress.

How long is the Great Wall of China?

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 miles). 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!

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 Spring and Autumn Period (770 – 476 BC). After Qin Shihuang unified China, he ordered to connect the previous walls to form a very long connective defensive wall. Following Qin, almost all the dynasties were eneaged in the construction.

It is not only a “wall”.

The Great Wall of China was three-dimensional, with an average height of 6 to 7 meters (20 to 23 feet) and the highest point being 14 meters (46 feet). Its average width is 6.5 meters (21.3 feet). In ancient times, soldiers marched, raced, and transported military supplies on it; they also observed the enemy’s movements through watchtowers and transmitted military signal through beacon towers. Along the wall, there are also passes used to station troops. Therefore, the Great Wall was a military barrier to effectively prevent the invasion of northern nomads.

One Day Badaling Great Wall and the Sacred Way

Badaling Great Wall, the earliest one opened to tourists, is the most grand and gorgeous part of all sections. In this day trip, we aim to provide you an extraordinary experience at this place, and also we will spare a short time to walk through the Sacred Way to complete the day. In the morning, we will pick you up at your centrally located hotel at around 08:00. After driving for about 2 hours, you will see the Great Wall with your own eyes. At least 2 hours will be left for you to climb up the wall. After that, have a stopover at the Sacred Way before we transfer you back to the hotel.

Prices (US$ Per Person)