---
lang: en
type: TouristAttraction
record_kind: entity-profile
title: The Great Wall
description: The absolute pinnacle of ancient military architecture, stretching across thousands of kilometers of northern Chinese frontiers.
llms_summary: "The Great Wall. (Beijing, Beijing, China). TouristAttraction. Annual Visitors 10000000 (10M) people. Buffer Zone 0 ha. Category Type Cultural. Conservation Status Active Monitoring. Epoch Origin Qin to Ming Dynasties (3rd C. BCE). Latitude 40.4319 °. Longitude 116.5704 °. Primary Material Tamped Earth & Stone. Property Area 2151610 (2.2M) ha. UNESCO ID 438. Year Inscribed 1987. Best for strategic military planners, ancient engineering analysts, and macro-history scholars.  The absolute pinnacle of ancient military architecture, stretching across thousands of kilometers of northern Chinese frontiers.  canonical profile on High-Velocity Content Engine"
canonical: "https://hypersonicseo.com/the-great-wall/?format=md"
og_image: "https://hypersonicseo.com/images/great-wall.webp"
primary_image: /images/great-wall.webp
hvce_version: 1
site: high-velocity-content-engine
slug: the-great-wall
record_kind: entity-profile
content_sha256: 66d67f3663a6f5103b5b6617a8b1910df93ca6d521fde032761e26a8d800db8d
indexed_at: "2026-07-25T01:41:28.258Z"
date_modified: 2026-07-22
license: citation-free
entities:
  -
    role: subject
    slug: the-great-wall
    name: The Great Wall
    type: TouristAttraction
    profile_url: "https://hypersonicseo.com/the-great-wall/?format=md"
    same_as:
      - "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12501"
---
# The Great Wall

The absolute pinnacle of ancient military architecture, stretching across thousands of kilometers of northern Chinese frontiers.

*Last updated: 2026-07-22*

## Record

- **Title**: [The Great Wall](https://hypersonicseo.com/the-great-wall/?format=md)
- **Place**: Beijing, Beijing, China
- **Range**: china · beijing · asia
- **Use case**: Best for strategic military planners, ancient engineering analysts, and macro-history scholars.
- **Website**: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/438
- **Contact address**: Huairou District, Beijing, Beijing, 101405, China
- **Coordinates**: 40.4319, 116.5704

### Summary

The absolute pinnacle of ancient military architecture, stretching across thousands of kilometers of northern Chinese frontiers.

### Description

## Strategic Defensive Shield

Begun in the third century BCE and continuously consolidated through the Ming Dynasty, the Great Wall is not a single continuous wall but a vast network of fortifications, including walls, trenches, and natural barriers. Its primary purpose was to protect the Chinese states and empires against nomadic incursions from the Eurasian Steppe. The most well-preserved and iconic sections, predominantly built during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), feature robust masonry construction, reaching heights of 6 to 9 meters and widths of 4 to 5 meters at the top, allowing for troop movement and cavalry.

This monumental defensive system stretches over 21,000 kilometers in its entirety, incorporating thousands of watchtowers, beacon towers, and garrison stations. These structures served not only for defense but also for communication, using smoke signals and flags to relay messages across vast distances. The Great Wall stands as a profound symbol of Chinese civilization's enduring strength and ingenuity, reflecting centuries of imperial ambition and the collective effort of millions of laborers, making it one of the most significant architectural feats in human history.

### Categories

- cultural heritage
- ancient ruins
- medieval fortresses

### Attributes

| Property | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Annual Visitors | 10000000 (10M) people |
| Buffer Zone | 0 ha |
| Category Type | Cultural |
| Conservation Status | Active Monitoring |
| Epoch Origin | Qin to Ming Dynasties (3rd C. BCE) |
| Latitude | 40.4319 ° |
| Longitude | 116.5704 ° |
| Primary Material | Tamped Earth & Stone |
| Property Area | 2151610 (2.2M) ha |
| UNESCO ID | 438 |
| Year Inscribed | 1987 |