China To Measure The Great Wall

BBC ^ | 2-12-2007

[blam]

China to measure the Great Wall

The structure is a series of walls first linked up over 2,000 years ago

Researchers are to carry out the first detailed survey of the Great Wall of China to establish just how long the ancient barricade is, Xinhua reports. Along with checking its dimensions the four-year study, which starts in May, will map the wall's exact route.

And it will check the condition of the fortification, built to protect the northern border of the Chinese Empire.

The wall, the world's largest man-made structure, is estimated at over 5,000 kilometres (3,100 miles) in length.

The study will be conducted by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage and the State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping in 13 provinces, regions and municipalities, the Xinhua official news agency said.

Archaeologists had lobbied for the survey to be done to provide scholars with an accurate understanding of the construction.

Known to the Chinese as the "long Wall of 10,000 Li", the Great Wall is in fact a series of walls and earthen works begun in the 5th Century BC and first linked up under Qin Shi Huang in about 220BC.

It was listed as a Unesco world heritage site in 1987.

[RexBeach]

Man, that must be one big tape measure! Damn.

[blam]

GGG Ping.

Next headline: Great Wall more extensive than originally believed.

[Spok]

"China To Measure The Great Wall"

Too much time on their hands??

[saganite]

It goes from here to there and is about so tall. Next.

[kinoxi]

It will be interesting to see the number that they come up with, and the subsequent responses.

[Fairview]

If the Chinese could put up a wall 3100 miles long nearly 2000 years ago, why can't we put up one 2000 miles long now?

[verum ago]

oooh, maybe they'll find the pot of gold at the end.

oh, nevermind

[mad puppy]

Maybe we should out-source our wall to the Chinese.

[Between the Lines]

If London bridge can be moved to Arizona then maybe...

[knarf]

"If the Chinese could put up a wall 3100 miles long nearly 2000 years ago, why can't we put up one 2000 miles long now?"

Damn ! I'm gonna' get one, flat forehead slappin' myself over that one.

I think I'll go in the bumper sticker business.

[ElkGroveDan]

The wall, the world's largest man-made structure, is estimated at over 5,000 kilometres (3,100 miles) in length

Can I get one just like it at Walmart?

[HEY4QDEMS]

This is an ATV rider's dream

[GeorgefromGeorgia]

I hope our wall works better than the Great Wall of China. Of course, the reason for failure of the Great Wall, was that people because too dependent on the wall, and either did not have enough troops stationed at the wall, or corrupt officials accepted bribes from barbarians. The history of walls, such as Hadrian's wall between England and what is now Scotland showed that it allowed a smaller force to defend from a larger force. There were still incursions or raids into Roman territory, but the Romans manned the wall with enough troops to slow down a major attack until reinforcement arrived.
In modern times, we have more security means to detect incursions, but we cannot shoot the "invaders" since the law does not allow deadly force.
A wall will help, but we need to do more than just build a wall.

[jas3]

The wall, the world's largest man-made structure, is estimated at over 5,000 kilometres (3,100 miles) in length.

Anybody know how long the Mississippi River levee system is? I think it is about 2,200 miles long. Maybe you can double that if you count both sides of the river = 4,400 miles long...

jas3

[Desron13]

"The wall, the world's largest man-made structure, is estimated at over 5,000 kilometres (3,100 miles) in length."

I wonder if they would be willing to sell it to us for use along our Souther Border.

[Pit1]

Just use Goggle Earth. What's the big deal? But then again you have to do something with China's gazillion farmers.

[RightWhale]

GPS survey no doubt. Using the new Chinese partial GPS constellation.

[RightWhale]

Some of the sections with steps look too much for anything but a Fiat.

[toldyou]

I would like to visit Beijing sometime this year and visit the wall. If anyone here has visited the area, please let me know. Thanks!