The Great Wall of China is much longer than thought!!!

A study prepared by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage of the Ministry of Culture of China in cooperation with the State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping over a period of two years revealed that the Great Wall of China is much longer than previously thought. The researchers found that the remaining part of the wall - which was built during the Ming Dynasty that ruled China from 1368 to 1644 - is 8,851 km long, an increase of 2,551 km from what was known so far. According to a report published by the "Daily China" newspaper on Monday, researchers from cartographic and archaeological protection bodies used global positioning navigation systems, telemetry devices and other advanced technologies to measure the true length of the wall. The researchers stated that the parts of the wall that were built in the Ming Dynasty were 6,259.6 km long, trenches with a length of 359.7 km, and natural barriers such as mountains and rivers, 2232.5 km in length.
According to the study, the Great Wall of China starts from Hushan in Liaoning Province and reaches the Jiayu Corridor in Gansu Province, which means that it passes through ten provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions in the north. Researchers will now focus on measuring the parts of the wall that were built during the Qin and Han dynasties, who ruled China from 221 BC until 220 AD, where the process of measuring the wall is scheduled to continue until the end of next year. Director of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage Shan Jixiang explained that the purpose of the study was to develop a comprehensive plan to protect the wall and preserve records and files related to it for maintenance work. He pointed out that the wall is in danger of collapsing due to climate change and the massive construction work on infrastructure in China.

Historian Zhou Xiwen, who specializes in studying the wall, said that it includes doors, trenches, and natural barriers such as rivers and mountains that were used to enhance its defensive purpose. As for the western sector of the wall, which is located mostly in the desert, the bulk of it is built of sand and mud, which makes it vulnerable to climatic changes and natural factors such as winds and storms. The wall extends on the northern and northwestern borders of China. The first parts of it were built during the reign of Emperor Qin Shi Huang in the year 210 BC, and restored during the Ming Dynasty between the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries AD.