This sizeable museum blusters through a history of the Wall, from its origins as an earthen embankment in the far-off Qin dynasty (221–207 BC) to the Ming-era battlements you see today. There are decent English captions, and enthusiasts will appreciate the sections on warfare.
China Great Wall Museum
The Great Wall
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
28.47 MILES
A marvel of Chinese garden design and one of Beijing's must-see attractions, the Summer Palace was the royal retreat for emperors fleeing the suffocating…
26.69 MILES
Though it dates back to the Yuan dynasty, this enchanting Buddhist temple complex was enlarged to its current splendor by Emperor Qianlong in 1748, adding…
13.28 MILES
A highlight of a visit to the Ming Tombs is to walk the Shen Dao, or Spirit Way, a funerary avenue that plots a sombre course to Cháng Líng, the earliest…
28.88 MILES
For stupefying hikes along perhaps Beijing’s most incomparable section of Wall, head to Jiankou, where white-knuckle sections like ‘Upward Flying Eagle’…
13.26 MILES
Established according to feng shui in the cradle of Tianshou Mountain (天寿山, Tiānshòu Shān), this auspicious swath of nature was walled off by the Ming to…
26.99 MILES
A great swath of Beijing's Western Hills (Xīshān) was once an imperial pleasure resort, acres of undulating pine-cypress forest peppered with temples,…
28.55 MILES
Stretching for 728m along the north shore of Kunming Lake, the open-air Long Corridor is one of the premier sights of the Summer Palace. One can imagine…
13.21 MILES
It's no coincidence that the most magnificent of the Ming tombs bears more than a passing resemblance to the Forbidden City. It was commissioned by the…
Nearby The Great Wall attractions
0.25 MILES
Historically a strategic portal between the fertile lands of the capital and the more arid plains beyond, Badaling has been called the ‘Key to Northern…
10.85 MILES
The tomb of the Zhengde Emperor, who reigned from 1506–21. It's not open for visitors.
11.65 MILES
Si Ling is the tomb of the last of the Ming emperors, Chongzhen, who hanged himself at Coal Hill – today's Jingshan Park – as rebels stormed the gates of…
11.8 MILES
The Longqing Emperor, 12th of the Ming Dynasty, only managed a six-year shift on the Dragon Throne before he was entombed here, along with three empresses…
11.98 MILES
Of all the Ming tombs, this is the only one to have been excavated, and visitors can descend into the enormous burial chambers of the Wanli Emperor (1563…
12.23 MILES
Housed in several buildings at Dìng Líng, some of which were closed for renovation at time of research, this museum displays a selection of items…