Archeologists: Great Wall of China Could be Gone in 20 Yrs

In a recent online poll that received some 100 million votes, the Great Wall of China was named as one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. Visible from space, the world’s longest human-made structure and largest human-made structure in terms of surface area and mass, the Great Wall is a series of stone and earthen fortifications built during the 5^th and 16^th centuries.

Originally and unsuccessfully built as a protection along the northern border of the country during successive dynasties – each favoring a different construction style – the Great Wall is still seen as a national symbol of China.

However, this behemoth of ancient human engineering and tenacity is coming unstuck at the seams, according to reports. The state news agency – Xinhua – has reported that sections of the great wall are being turned in to “mounds of dirt”, as a result of the desertification of the area. The sandstorms are blamed on decades of agricultural laziness and carelessness, and experts believe that the wall could be gone within 20 years.

"Frequent storms not only eroded the mud, but also cracked the wall and caused it to collapse or break down," archaeologist Zhou Shengrui told Xinhua.

At the height of the empire and the wall during the Ming dynasty, the Great Wall was believed to be somewhere close to 3,900 miles long; now, according to Chinese scholars, it is closer to 1,500 miles long, and is diminishing by the day thanks to a rampant – and socially acceptable – economic growth to the country.

It is an enduring tragedy that what is seen socially as a growth in economics is ruining the culture, architecture and sustainability of lands across the planet. Only too late will the majority realize that history cannot be returned, only remembered, and if nothing is done soon, the Great Wall of China may soon be relegated to memory, rather than a tourist destination for the Asian traveler.

Posted by Josh Hill

Links:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,2158452,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=travel
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Wall_of_China
http://www.new7wonders.com/index.php

Comments

[Stoney]

My friend worked for a large US aerospace company.He told me that a former astronaut was affiliated with his company and was giving a speech in China. He was told to praise something about the country, so HE MADE UP the story about the Great Wall being visible from space with the NAKED EYE.

I'd be interested in a confirmation, either way.

[Daniel Appleton]

The Ziggurats of Mesopotamia are gone, for the most part, the Valley of The Kings & The Giza Plateau are in danger from development & even from the tourists that come to see them, Islamic fundamentalists destroyed the Buddhist statues in Afghanistan, & even the wreck of the Titanic will be reduced to a giant rust stain on the floor of the N. Atlantic in 20 - something years. We have to use the technology of the present to preserve the records & history of ancient civilizations or the only way we'll have them available for future generations is via video, virtual tours, & other digital media. A shame - the Great Wall is on the list of places I'd love to see, time & money permitting.

[Dan in Beijing]

Although erosion over the years is serious, to say the next 20 are critical after the last thousand is to exaggerate. A lot of attention is now focussed on mapping and preserving the Great Wall.