Nanjing City Wall
Longest surviving ancient city wall in the world
Nanjing Ming City Wall, Xuanwu District, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
The Nanjing City Wall is the longest surviving ancient city wall in the world, stretching roughly 25 kilometers around the old city in a circuit that follows the natural contours of hills and waterways rather than the conventional rectangular plan of most Chinese city walls. Built between 1366 and 1393 under the founding Ming emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, the wall originally enclosed the largest city area of any capital in the world at that time. Today approximately two-thirds of the original wall survives, and several sections have been opened for walking, offering an elevated perspective on the city that combines imperial history with panoramic views.
Walking sections of the wall typically cost 30 to 50 yuan per section. Hours vary but are generally 8:00am to 5:00pm.
Details
Walkable Sections
The most popular walkable sections include the stretch from Zhonghua Gate (the largest surviving city gate) northward, the section near Jiming Temple overlooking Xuanwu Lake, and the portion along the lakefront at Xuanwu Gate. Each section offers a different character — some pass through densely urban areas with views of modern Nanjing on both sides, while others run along lakeshores or through forested hills. Walking the full surviving circuit would take an entire day; most visitors focus on one or two sections.
Construction and Design
The wall's construction is remarkable. The massive brick ramparts, averaging 12 meters high and 7 meters wide at the top, were built using millions of individually stamped bricks — many still bearing the names of the supervisors and workers responsible for their production, a quality-control measure that allowed defective work to be traced back to its source. The wall incorporates 13 surviving gates, each an impressive fortified structure in its own right.
Zhonghua Gate
Zhonghua Gate (see separate entry) at the southern end of the wall is the largest and most impressive surviving gate, with multiple layers of defensive walls, hidden soldier chambers, and a scale that has no parallel in Chinese fortification architecture.
Getting There
Address: Nanjing Ming City Wall, Xuanwu District, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
Multiple subway stations provide access to different wall sections. **Zhonghuamen Station** on Line 1 serves Zhonghua Gate. **Jiming Temple Station** on Line 3 and Line 4 accesses the Xuanwu Lake section. **Xuanwumen Station** on Line 1 serves the western lakefront section. Climbing points are clearly marked along the wall's route.
Nanjing City Wall
Longest surviving ancient city wall in the world