Great Wall of China Twice As Long As Thought

The Great Wall of China is more than twice as long as originally believed, according to the first definitive archaeological survey of the iconic ancient defensive structure.

Released by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage (SACH), the survey began in 2007, mapping every trace of the wall across 15 Chinese provinces.

It emerged that the wall is much longer than previously thought. Indeed, it measures 13,170.6956 miles, or 21,196.18 km. A preliminary study released in 2009 estimated the wall to snake 5,500 miles, or 8,850 km across the country.

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Here's the complete map of the wall, dispatched through the various dynasties:



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reply to post by elevenaugust


My first thought was it was ridiculous that no one realized how long the Great Wall of China was. How could it be possible that no one knew that, I have even seen pictures of it from space!

Then I saw the map you posted. No idea personally that the wall was fragmented and had split offs. Great find!


Picture from NASA

Originally posted by elevenaugust
Here's the complete map of the wall, dispatched through the various dynasties:

Source

Wow! So, are all of these wall segments still standing? What are they measuring?

Excellent post. People often don't realise that the Great Wall of China was built in many stages, with the earliest parts in mudbrick, which is not a durable building material over the long term - given enough rain, enough wind, enough neglect and enough peasants needing to 'borrow' parts of it, even the largest wall can become a line on a ridge.

The Ancient Chinese are a fascinating bunch
thanks OP
sandf

Awesome find.


I heard the Great Wall is also known as the longest and largest Graveyard, considering how many people died during it's various construction periods by so many for so long.

Thanks for posting this.

Very good but it looks like they included some of the internal defensive walls too. Quite a feat of social organization to have built that much, its too bad it never worked that well or more correct was subject to critical failure at certain time. As Patton noted


Fixed fortifications are a monument to the stupidity of man - and added by someone else, 'a lure to the enemy to attack you elsewhere and to lose your ability to maneuver'

after the great wall was finished,the first thing the enemy 'invented' was the ladder!!!!!

Originally posted by AngryCymraeg
Excellent post. People often don't realise that the Great Wall of China was built in many stages, with the earliest parts in mudbrick, which is not a durable building material over the long term - given enough rain, enough wind, enough neglect and enough peasants needing to 'borrow' parts of it, even the largest wall can become a line on a ridge.

You forgot to include the dead bodies as building materials, yep they really do that.

Originally posted by Ameilia
No idea personally that the wall was fragmented and had split offs. Great find!

Me neither! And what a fascinating resource in terms of studying the shift in territorial boundaries, and the accompanying power struggles.

Originally posted by NullVoid
You forgot to include the dead bodies as building materials, yep they really do that.

Probably still would be if it wasn't for Trade Unions and Health and Safety legislation.

Originally posted by SLAYER69
I heard the Great Wall is also known as the longest and largest Graveyard, considering how many people died during it's various construction periods by so many for so long.

Life was cheap in China in the past. Unfortunately, life is cheap in China in the present too.

Regards

reply to post by reficul


ROFLMAO

yeah the ancient chinese were interesting and very creative in problem solving. They blew up an entire mountain a thousand years ago to diver an entire river so that they could turn a wasteland into one of the largest agricultural areas in the world. It's whats responsible for their high population.

They also built one of the largest canals on earth hundreds of years ago to connect the yangzte river and the yellow river. Gave them a huge economic boom in trade at the time.

slayer69,

you are correct it was nicknamed the longest graveyard. the chinese conscripted men and boys of able body to work on the wall. alot of them starved to death or died from exposure working as slaves to build that wall.

It was so bad that thee is actually an era of chinese poetry that came out of it. mostly written by grieving chinese mothers lamenting their child's conscription, slavery, and eventual death. basically when the imperial troops would come to a village to round up all the boys, fathers and husbands the women knew that they were saying goodbye to them and would never see them again. Some of the poetry if you can find a transcription of it is heart wrenching.

A good majority of the dead workers were simply buried in the wall or became parts of the mortar used to hold it together.

Rather than the Great Wall of China, I think it would be more accurate to refer to the Great Walls of China. I mean, this isn't one wall. I'm stating the obvious, but I always thought it curious the walls were referred to in singular.