How Much Do You Know About the Great Wall of China?

By Beth Moreton · April 6, 2024 · 1 min read
An image of the Great Wall of China. The wall goes upwards the further back it goes and is surrounded by trees and bushes.
Source: Hanson Lu/Unsplash

The Great Wall of China has existed for centuries, and many people visit it every year.

But how much do you know about the Great Wall of China? Take this quiz and find out.

Which Year Did Construction on the Great Wall of China Begin?

An image of the Great Wall of China. The wall goes up a hill and is surrounded by green trees and bushes.
Source: William Olivieri/Unsplash


  • A) 14th Century

  • B) 5th Century BC

  • C) 3rd Century BC

  • D) 12th Century

Answer: 3rd Century BC

An image of the Great Wall of China. There are three people at the bottom of the wall who are walking upwards.
Source: Joel Danielson/Unsplash

How Long Did Construction of the Great Wall of China Go On?

An image of the Great Wall of China. As the wall is going upwards it curves round to the right. The wall is on a hill and there are hills behind it.
Source: William Olivieri/Unsplash


  • A) 1,000 years

  • B) 700 years

  • C) 250 years

  • D) 20 years

Answer: 1,000 years

An image from the steps of the Great Wall of China. There are some people on the steps further ahead from where the photo is being taken.
Source: Ajmal MK/Unsplash

Who Masterminded the Great Wall of China?

The Great Wall of China at sunset. The wall goes up a hill and then curves around to the left.
Source: Usukhbayar Gankhuyag/Unsplash


  • A) Qin Shi Huang

  • B) El Rallo Maquin

  • C) Shu Ming Sal

  • D) Carlos

Answer: Qin Shi Huang

A statue of Qin Shi Huang.
Source: Tris T7/Wikimedia Commons

Which Dynasty Was Responsible for the First Construction of the Great Wall of China?

The Great Wall of China. People are walking across the wall at various points.
Source: Rita Chou/Unsplash


  • A) Han Dynasty

  • B) Tang Dynasty

  • C) Qin Dynasty

  • D) Ming Dynasty

Answer: Qin Dynasty

A painted pottery vessel from the Qin Dynasty. The vessel is grey and has red, yellow, and white dots and lines painted on it.
Source: BabelStone/Wikimedia Commons

How Many People, Approximately, Died During the Construction of the Great Wall of China?

The Great Wall of China in daylight. The wall follows the hills around.
Source: William Christen/Unsplash


  • A) 400,000

  • B) 250,000

  • C) 3 million

  • D) 2 million

Answer: 400,000

A painting of the Great Wall of China. The painting starts looking through a hole in a brick wall, where you can see the wall go across some hills. Some people are walking along the wall.
Source: Robert Nyman/Unsplash

Why Was the Great Wall of China Built?

The Great Wall of China during winter. There is some snow on parts of the hills. The wall follows the hills up and around.
Source: Max van den Oetelaar/Unsplash


  • A) To defend China from Nomadic Tribes

  • B) To separate China from India

  • C) To prevent prisoners from escaping to other countries

  • D) To prevent invasive species of animals from praying on native species

Answer: To defend China from Nomadic Tribes

A black and white drawing of some nomadic tribes in Asia. One person is on top of a horse and the other is on top of a cow. They are surrounded by a camel, sheep, and a donkey.
Source: New York Ward, Lock/Wikimedia Commons

How High Is the Great Wall of China, Roughly?

The Great Wall of China during winter. There is snow on the steps of the wall. The wall goes down and then back up the hill.
Source: Rafik Wahba/Unsplash


  • A) 50 feet

  • B) 100 feet

  • C) 15 feet

  • D) 25 feet

Answer: 25 feet

The Great Wall of China during summer. The photo is taken from some steps going down and is surrounded by green trees and bushes.
Source: Johannes Plenio/Unsplash

How Wide Is the Great Wall of China at the Base?

The Great Wall of China. The photo is taken from inside the wall and shows a person walking ahead. The wall can be seen going up a hill in the distance.
Source: Victoriano Izquierdo/Unsplash


  • A) 21 feet

  • B) 15 feet

  • C) 5 feet

  • D) 10 feet

Answer: 21 feet

The Great Wall of China. The wall is going up and there is a person in a red jacket about to walk up the steps of the wall.
Source: Sid Verma/Unsplash

How High Is the Highest Point of the Great Wall of China?

An aerial view of the Great Wall of China. Some people can be seen walking along the wall and there are green bushes and trees on either side of it.
Source: Micha Brändli/Unsplash


  • A) 5,150 feet

  • B) 4,505 feet

  • C) 4,722 feet

  • D) 4,657 feet

Answer: 4,722 feet

An image from the Great Wall of China, right before some steps leading to a higher part of the wall. People are walking up the steps towards the top of the wall.
Source: Mikaela Wiedenhoff

What Is the Great Wall of China Primarily Made From?

An aerial view of the Great Wall of China. The view shows some steps going upwards with people on the steps. Green trees are on either side of the wall.
Source: Jamie Street/Unsplash


  • A) Brick

  • B) Stone

  • C) Wood

  • D) Dirt

Answers: Stone

The Great Wall of China from an aerial view. People are walking along the wall at various points. Trees in fall surround the wall.
Source: Hanson Lu/Unsplash

Which Mortar Was Not Used to Build the Great Wall of China?

The Great Wall of China during summer. People are walking along the wall at various points.
Source: Bruce Röttgers/Unsplash


  • A) Lime

  • B) Clay

  • C) Rice flour

  • D) Crushed stone

Answer: Crushed stone

A close-up image of the Great Wall of China. The wall curves around and goes up and a couple of people are walking up it.
Source: Wilson Ye/Unsplash

What Material Was Not Used When Building the Great Wall of China?

An aerial view of the Great Wall of China. The wall can be seen from towards the bottom of a hill and going up and around.
Source: William Olivieri/Unsplash


  • A) Granite

  • B) Brick

  • C) Mounded earth

  • D) Concrete

Answer: Concrete

The Great Wall of China. The wall goes up a hill and there are green trees and bushes on either side of it.
Source: William Olivieri/Unsplash

Where Can the Great Wall of China Be Seen From?

The Great Wall of China from inside the wall. The wall is going up and round and there is a large tree to the left of it.
Source: Andrew Scarborough/Unsplash


  • A) The moon

  • B) The Earth’s orbit

  • C) Mars

  • D) The sun

Answer: The Moon

The full moon in a black sky.
Source: Gravitatas/Wikimedia Commons

Which Dynasty Finished Construction on the Great Wall of China?

An image of the Great Wall of China from inside the wall. It is leading up to a building within the wall.
Source: Courtney Hall/Unsplash


  • A) Ming Dynasty

  • B) Qin Dynasty

  • C) Han Dynasty

  • D) Tang Dynasty

Answer: Ming Dynasty

A golden statue from the Ming Dynasty. The status is holding one hand to the side while the other is against the body. It has a crown on its head.
Source: Mary Harrsch/Wikimedia Commons

Which Is the Most Famous Section of the Great Wall of China?

An aerial view of the Great Wall of China. People are walking along the wall at different points.
Source: Chastagner Thierry/Unsplash


  • A) Mutianyu

  • B) Jiankou

  • C) Badaling

  • D) Simatai

Answer: Badaling

The Badaling section of the Great Wall of China. There are crowds of people walking up the wall.
Source: DF08/Wikimedia Commons