What is the approximate total length of the Great Wall of China, including all its branches?

The Great Wall of China has an approximate total length of 21,196 kilometres when all sections and branches are included.

This figure comes from a detailed survey announced by China's State Administration of Cultural Heritage in 2012. It counts walls, trenches, natural barriers and fortifications built across many periods, rather than measuring only the most famous surviving stone and brick sections.

The Great Wall is not one continuous structure built at one time. Earlier walls were constructed by states before imperial unification, while the Ming dynasty later built and repaired many of the best-preserved sections. The wall's purposes included border defence, troop movement, signalling and control of trade routes.

A frequently repeated older estimate of about 8,850 kilometres refers mainly to Ming-era walls and associated features. The wall is also not reliably visible from the Moon with the unaided eye, another popular misconception. Its significance lies in its layered history and vast network across northern China.