Nanjing City Wall hosts Walk Nanjing 70 li on 18 October
Published on 10/11/2026 at 06:24 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSKey points in brief
- Walk Nanjing 70 li begins at Nanjing City Wall on 18 October 2026.
- The public walking event starts at Zhonghua Gate and offers 35-kilometre and 3-kilometre routes.
- The routes pass several historic gates, including Zhongshan, Taiping, Shence, Xuanwu and Jiqing gates.
- Nanjing City Wall was built from 1366 and around 25 kilometres remain today.
Nanjing City Wall will host Walk Nanjing 70 li on 18 October 2026, beginning at Zhonghua Gate in Nanjing. The public walking event will follow historic sections of the Ming fortification, with a longer route and a shorter family route.
The event gives visitors a current reason to approach the wall as a connected urban monument rather than as separate scenic sections.
Walk Nanjing 70 li starts at Zhonghua Gate on 18 October
The event begins at Zhonghua Gate on 18 October 2026. The official announcement says the programme is jointly organised by the Nanjing City Wall Protection and Management Centre and Nanjing Newspaper Media Group, with Nanjing Bank as title sponsor.
The longer course covers 35 kilometres, described in the announcement as 70 Chinese li. It starts at Zhonghua Gate, passes Zhongshan Gate, Taiping Gate, Shence Gate, Yijiang Gate, Dinghuai Gate and Jiqing Gate, then returns to Zhonghua Gate. The shorter family course covers 3 kilometres, beginning at Zhonghua Gate and ending at Dongshuiguan.
The official event announcement also describes an online and offline check-in programme running from 28 September to 25 October 2026. Participation details are directed to the official accounts of Nanjing Daily, Nanjing Bank and Nanjing City Wall.
Nanjing City Wall links the event to a 660-year history
The wall began construction in 1366, according to China Central Television, and around 25 kilometres remain in Nanjing. Its surviving sections cross the city centre and include gates, ramparts and viewpoints connected with the former Ming capital.
That history gives the 18 October route a particular structure. Rather than using the wall only as a finish-line backdrop, Walk Nanjing 70 li follows a chain of named gates across several sections of the surviving fortification.
The Zhonghua Gate starting point is a major part of the monument. The course then reaches northern and eastern sections before returning south, allowing the event route to show how the wall relates to Nanjing's wider street and water landscape.
A recent report on the city wall describes the remaining fortification, the Taicheng section and the wall's evening cultural programmes. It also reports that the Jiefang Gate to Xuanwu Gate section underwent conservation work before its opening period was extended.
The 18 October route turns separate gates into one walk
For travellers, the event is notable because its two courses use the wall as a continuous cultural route. The longer course names seven gates between its start and return, while the family course concentrates on the southern approach from Zhonghua Gate towards Dongshuiguan.
The route also places the wall within present-day Nanjing. Sections near Xuanwu Lake, the old city and the Qinhuai area show how the defensive structure remains part of the living city rather than an isolated archaeological fragment.
The event is linked to the 660th anniversary of the wall's foundation in 2026. The official notice says proceeds from participation will support wall conservation, but it does not establish a general change to ordinary visitor access.
Visiting Nanjing City Wall: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Walk Nanjing 70 li takes place on 18 October 2026, with both courses starting at Zhonghua Gate.
- The longer course covers 35 kilometres through named wall sections and returns to Zhonghua Gate; the family course covers 3 kilometres and ends at Dongshuiguan.
- Zhonghua Gate is the practical starting point for the event, while the longer route also reaches Zhongshan, Taiping, Shence, Yijiang, Dinghuai and Jiqing gates.
- The wall is an extensive walking site with masonry surfaces, steps and changing urban surroundings. The 35-kilometre course therefore requires sustained walking across several connected sections.
- The official language is Mandarin Chinese and the national currency is the Chinese yuan.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
Searching for Nanjing City Wall on social platforms
These links open searches for Nanjing City Wall on each platform.
Frequently asked questions about Nanjing City Wall
When does Walk Nanjing 70 li take place at Nanjing City Wall?
Walk Nanjing 70 li takes place on 18 October 2026. Both routes start at Zhonghua Gate.
Where is Nanjing City Wall and how do you get there?
The wall runs through central Nanjing, with the event starting at Zhonghua Gate. The announced routes connect the southern starting point with gates in the eastern and northern parts of the historic fortification.
What is Nanjing City Wall?
It is the surviving Ming-period city fortification of Nanjing, begun in 1366. Around 25 kilometres remain, including Zhonghua Gate and several other historic gates.
????
