Producer Will Smith said Jackie Chan was held in such high regard in China that he was able to use his status to help with many aspects of the production, such as getting permission to shoot in certain locations for filming.
As noted on a featurette, Jackie Chan was the one who came up with the "jacket" routine as a means of teaching Dre Kung Fu moves.
For The Great Wall sequences, all of the camera equipment had to be hand-carried, as helicopters were not allowed. The helicopter shots were finally achieved before sunset. The wait was due to military exercises in the area.