Upgraded Great Wall Museum of China to open in 2026

The Great Wall Museum of China is set to complete its renovation and upgrading and officially open in 2026, with the Badaling Great Wall serving as its largest exhibit.

As China's only national-level museum dedicated to the Great Wall, the museum has been upgraded from the original Great Wall Museum of China, which first opened to the public in 1994. After the latest renovations, the museum's building height will be reduced from 16 meters to 9 meters, with a total floor area of 16,000 square meters.

At the far end of the museum's second floor lies its most important space — the Great Wall Hall. A full-height glass curtain wall opens to the south, framing the real Badaling Great Wall outside as the museum's most vivid and compelling display

Integrating cultural communication, heritage conservation, and academic research, the Great Wall Museum of China will become a national first-class museum and cultural landmark, offering a comprehensive presentation and interpretation of the historical development and cultural significance of the Great Wall.

In 2024, Beijing's Yanqing district proposed to develop a world-class Badaling Great Wall scenic area by taking the Badaling Great Wall as its core and integrating the Shuiguan Great Wall, the Badaling Ancient Great Wall, and the Huajiayaozi Great Wall, all to be developed under the unified 5A scenic-area standards. The 16.5-kilometer-long Great Wall visitor route connecting these sites is set to be opened to the public in 2026.

Yanqing district also released an action plan in 2024, proposing that from 2024 to 2026, the district will use hiking and cycling trails to connect Great Wall scenic areas, natural attractions, local villages, and cultural heritage sites along the route. The district aimed to create high-quality study-tour and leisure sightseeing routes, and complete the Yanqing section of the "Jingji Great Wall" scenic route within two years.

In addition, the district will host thematic events such as Great Wall concerts and launch a range of Great Wall–themed cultural and creative products in 2026, further enhancing the cultural impact of the Great Wall national cultural park.