<Tr> <Th> Jyutping </Th> <Td> Maan - lei coeng - sing </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th_colspan="2"> Southern Min </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Tâi - lô </Th> <Td> Bān - lí tn̂g - siânn </Td> </Tr> <P> The Great Wall of China is a series of fortifications made of stone, brick, tamped earth, wood, and other materials, generally built along an east - to - west line across the historical northern borders of China to protect the Chinese states and empires against the raids and invasions of the various nomadic groups of the Eurasian Steppe . Several walls were being built as early as the 7th century BC; these, later joined together and made bigger and stronger, are collectively referred to as the Great Wall . Especially famous is the wall built in 220--206 BC by Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China . Little of that wall remains . The Great Wall has been rebuilt, maintained, and enhanced over various dynasties; the majority of the existing wall is from the Ming Dynasty (1368--1644). </P>

Length of great wall of china in feet