Chinese Dynasties That Built the Great Wall

Three Major Building Phases

• Qin Dynasty (221–206 BCE): Qin Shi Huang connected existing walls into a unified barrier against the Xiongnu.
• Han Dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE): Extended and fortified; added watchtowers, garrisons, signaling systems.
• Ming Dynasty (1368–1644 CE): Most extensive reconstruction—brick/stone facing, massive watchtowers, gates, beacon networks. The Wall we see today is largely Ming.

Earlier states (Warring States period) built precursor walls; later dynasties maintained but did not massively expand.