According to news released today by People’s Daily Online the result of a survey that started in 2006 has reviled the total length of the Ming dynasty Great Wall to be 8851.8 km, which is 2551.8 km more then previous estimates.

The length of the Great Wall include:

6259.6 kilometres artificial wall

359.7 kilometres trenches

2232.5 kilometres of natural defensive barriers (mountains, rivers etc.)

The survey will now focus on the Qin and Han dynasty wall including wall from other dynasties.

For information in Chinese please visit these links:

State Administration of Cultural Heritage

State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping 

For more background information please visit these links:

Heritage guardians to start high-tech survey on Great Wall

Length of the Great Wall to be announced in 2008

China’s first regulation protecting the Great Wall goes into effect

China to measure length of Great Wall

Less than 30 percent of Ming Dynasty Great Wall still standing

One-fifth of Ming Dynasty Great Wall in Inner Mongolia has disappeared

Ancient Great Wall sites found in N.W. China

According to some books and websites barrier walls is exclusive to the Gubeikou-Jinshanling-Simatai area, however this is not true. At least one place these small walls, perpendicular to the main wall, can be seen in the eastern part of Hebei province namely at Damaoshan north of Qinhuangdao.

On the steep sections of the wall the soldiers would be exposed to enemy weapons, so the the barrier wall was added to give extra protection leaving only a small passage for the soldiers to walk.

Another function would be to protect the soldiers in the event that the enemy gained access to the wall, so the defending soldiers could fight the enemy and stay protected at the same time.

At Damaoshan the barrier walls are only 8-9 bricks high so it seems that the main purpose of these walls was to protect the soldiers from enemy fire once the enemy was close to the wall.

The hight of these walls at Damaoshan would make it difficult for the soldiers to hide behind them and even more difficult to fight the enemy while protected by the walls even though each barrier wall is equipped with one shooting/watch hole.

Robert Loken will begin his year long walk along the Ming dynasty today starting in Jiayuguan. Surely Robert can be an inspiration to many – living his dream.

Follow Robert’s walk on his website The Great Wall’ker.

I wish  him all the best on his great adventure.