Great Wall of China is now LONGER! than expected

Great Wall of China is now LONGER!

Over 2,200 years after it was built, China's Great Wall continues to be a mystery, as new studies reveal that it could be almost 2.4 times longer than originally measured.
Archaeologists and mapping experts have found 43,721 sites related to the Great Wall structure crisscrossing the country, making its overall length to be at 21,196.18 km, according to the latest survey published by China's State Administration of Cultural Heritage.

But construction of the wall had begun as early as 7th century BC, the new survey said.


The oldest section of the Great Walls that have been found is the Great Wall of Qi State in Shandong province and the Great Wall of Chu State in Henan province. Both date back to the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC), according to Yan.

"As thousands of years pass, some ground structures disappear, and we do not know where the walls used to be. When some local governments or companies develop the land, like for coal mining or building new roads, they destroy the remaining parts under the ground," Yan said.
"Now we are clear about the location of the Great Wall, so the government can take steps to protect the walls, and local governments are clear about their responsibility to protect the walls," he said.