how old is the great wall of china

The Great Wall of China is approximately 2,700 to 3,000 years old. The earliest sections were first built in the 7th century BC, particularly by the Chu State around 2700 years ago, with some sections dating even earlier to the late Western Zhou Dynasty around 1046 BC. Construction continued over many dynasties for more than 2,000 years, with the most famous parts built during the Ming Dynasty about 400 to 650 years ago. The wall evolved from regional fortifications into a unified defense system over centuries, making it one of the longest and oldest structures in history.