China has developed a comprehensive data system cataloging over 43,000 Great Wall sites, enabling dynamic monitoring of its preservation and tracking management efforts to better protect the ancient structure in the modern era, according to the State Administration of Cultural Heritage.
Stretching over 20,000 kilometers, the Great Wall, China's largest existing cultural heritage site, spans 404 counties across 15 provincial-level regions.
"For the first time, we have gained a clear understanding of the full extent of the Great Wall. Through the integration of traditional archaeology and modern surveying techniques, we have completely clarified the total length of the Great Wall across different historical periods, measuring 21,196.18 kilometers. We now also have detailed knowledge of its sites' location and preservation status, marking a significant advancement in our understanding of the Great Wall," said Liu Wenyan, deputy head of the National Cultural Parks Conservation Institute of the China Academy of Cultural Heritage.
To accurately measure the Great Wall, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage worked alongside the National Administration of Surveying, Mapping, and Geoinformation to categorize and annotate entire structure into segments.
"Archaeologists and surveyors teamed up and visited the Great Wall to mark the location of its different sections with GPS coordinates, which were then plotted on topographic maps. By using three-dimensional measurements instead of flat, two-dimensional ones, we achieved a much higher level of accuracy," explained Liu.
Researchers also implemented a strict, scientific evaluation system to categorize and annotate over 43,000 sites of the Great Wall.
"We followed specific segmentation principles. For example, when the material changes, a new section is marked. If there's a breach in the Wall, that part is also segmented. Different historical periods are naturally reflected in the segmentation as well. This method allows us to divide the Wall into distinct sections," said Liu.
The Great Wall encompasses a wide variety of structures, including watchtowers, turrets, beacon towers and fortresses. During the classification process, researchers systematically numbered these structures based on their materials and functions.
With a history of over 2,000 years, the origins of the Great Wall trace back to the Spring and Autumn Period (770–476 B.C.). Numerous dynasties expanded and restored it over time. Now, it stands as one of the most magnificent architectural achievements and an unparalleled cultural and historical landmark in human history.
China establishes advanced data system for Great Wall preservation
"Political games" between the U.S. federal and state governments are hindering the progress of disaster relief efforts following hurricanes that hit the southeast U.S. state of Florida.
Hurricane Milton made landfall on October 9 on Florida's Gulf Coast as a Category three storm, bringing powerful winds, a dangerous storm surge and potential flooding to many areas of the state. It came just two weeks after Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc on the state, destroying coastal communities.
The Miami-based National Hurricane Center said the Milton had maximum sustained winds of 205 kph when it struck Siesta Key on Florida's west coast at 20:30.
More than 130 tornado warnings associated with the storm were issued by the National Weather Service.
Officials have confirmed at least 16 fatalities related to the storm.
Local residents are struggling to recover from the disaster.
"It's a big mess. We still had the trash that was not picked up, so that had a lot of projectiles flying around. We had some flooding, lost some roofs, hopefully no loss of life. We're just out here assessing the situation, helping clean out the road and seeing what we can take care of," said Michael Holderness, a business owner in Florida.
Holderness added that while his community has been devastated, things might have been worse.
"It's pretty bad, it's pretty bad. It looks like some areas have taken it harder than others on Siesta Key, But yeah, I'm probably a little relieved," he sadi.
The clean-up operation after Milton for local residents in Florida could take many weeks or months, as the state was one of many hit by Hurricane Helene just two weeks ago.
Despite the casualties and economic losses, American politicians are shifting blame, hindering the communication between the federal and state governments.
According to media reports, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis refused to take a phone call from Vice President and current Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris following Hurricane Helene.
However, DeSantis has claimed that Harris had never actually called during the hurricane. He alleged that Harris had shown no interest in hurricanes since assuming the role of Vice President and that her sudden concern was merely for political gain. He said that he had no time to engage in "political games" with Harris.
Meanwhile, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said that the budget for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which is responsible for both on-the-ground response efforts and distribution of relief funds, won't last through hurricane season.
As reported by Scientific American, within the first eight days of the 2025 fiscal year starting on October 1, FEMA had already spent nearly half of its budget for the entire fiscal year.
A Florida resident impacted by the storms said that he has not received any aid from FEMA, even after going through a complicated application process.
"I haven't gotten any (federal relief aid). I heard that people here can apply to FEMA and they'll offer something. I tried to apply, but I don't really know. They had like a bunch of verification steps and they kind of just kicked me back to the front. I think it's probably just so overwhelmed with people trying to apply. It's maybe their system not working right now, but I haven't gotten any aid personally," said Eden Jackson, Florida resident.
Since last October, President Joe Biden has been requesting that Congress increase funding for FEMA but has faced obstruction from Republicans, even though the Republican Party currently governs states that were heavily impacted by Hurricane Helene, including Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
Last week, Biden reiterated his readiness to convene an emergency meeting to secure additional funding from Congress for disaster relief efforts.
However, Politico reported that House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, has refused to hold a vote on the funding proposal before the election.
"Politicization of disasters" impedes progress of disaster relief efforts in Florida
