Science in China Series E: Technological Sciences
© 2008
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Research on the damage of the Great Wall of
Ming Dynasty in Beijing by remote sensing
LI XiaoJuan, GONG HuiLi†, ZHANG Ou, ZHANG WeiGuang & SUN YongHua
The Key Lab of 3D Information Acquisition and Application, MOE, the Key Lab of Beijing Resource Environment and GIS, and College of Resource Environment & Tourism, Capital Normal University, Beijing
100037, China
Using aerial photos and high resolution satellite images of the year of 2004, this
paper establishes remote sensing interpretation marks of the Great Wall of Ming
Dynasty’s damaged levels. Based on field survey and remote sensing survey in
1984, we analyzed present situation and changing characteristics being of the
Great Wall of Ming Dynasty in Beijing. The results show that about 7.02% of the wall
is well-preserved (about 25861 m); 31.5% of the wall is slightly or moderately damaged (about 115989 m); 61.5% of the wall is badly damaged (about 226379 m). This
paper analyzes the dynamic change of the Great Wall of Ming Dynasty. It shows that
the damaged situation of the Great Wall of Ming Dynasty in Beijing is serious. From
1984 to 2004, the well-preserved wall is decreased by 33206 m (decreased by 56%);
badly damaged wall increased by 51207 m (increased by 67%). Finally, this paper
analyzes the influence factors of damaging Great Wall. The conclusion is as follows:
The damaged Great Wall is generally near the roads and villages, small slope, and
easily arriving land.
the Great Wall of Ming Dynasty, remote sensing interpreting, damage, dynamic change, spatial analysis
The existing Great Wall in Beijing is part of the Great Wall of Ming Dynasty of China. It was listed
in the World Cultural Heritages by UNESCO in 1987[1]. In 1984, the concerned departments of the
Chinese government investigated the Great Wall of Ming Dynasty in Beijing by remote sensing
technique, and got the distribution and damage condition of the Great Wall[2]. But we have not
carried out the remote sensing monitoring and research into the Great Wall’s damage systematically.
For a long time, due to the slow progress of researching, protecting and administrating, the Great
Wall has suffered natural and human destruction constantly. At the end of 2003, Great Wall was
listed into the list of endangered historic sites by World Fund for Heritages[3,4].
Using aerial photos and high resolution satellite images of 2004, remote sensing interpretation
Received December 16, 2007; accepted February 3, 2008
doi: 10.1007/s11431-008-5001-x
†
Correspond author (email: [email protected])
Supported by the National Hi-Tech Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2006AA120104), the National Natural Science
Foundation of China (Grant No. 40771170), and the National Basic Research Program of China (“973”) (Grant No. 2006CB708405)
Sci China Ser E-Tech Sci | Apr. 2008 | vol. 51 | Supp. I | 195-202
marks of Great Wall being of Ming Dynasty’s damaged levels were established. Based on field
survey and remote sensing survey, this paper piecewise interprets damaged levels and spatial distributions of Great Wall of Ming Dynasty in Beijing. Combining the results of Great Wall’s remote
sensing investigation in 1984, we analyzed the change characteristic of Great Wall’s damage.
Based on remote sensing data and DEM, we analyzed the topographic characteristic of damaged
Great Wall and the spatial relationship between surrounding roads, villages, land use types, which
provides the decision-making basis for Great Wall’s protection.
1 Damage situation of the Great Wall of Ming Dynasty in Beijing
1.1 Damaged levels and remote sensing interpretation marks of the Great Wall
This paper adopts the standard of dividing wall into damaged levels produced by remote sensing
―
investigation in 1984. The image characteristics of all the levels are listed in Table 1[5 8].
Table 1 Damaged levels and image characteristic of Great Wall
Damaged levels
Description
Level 1
(well- preserved)
Level 2
(slightly damaged)
Level 3
(moderate damaged)
Level 4
(badly damaged)
Level 5 (residual)
196
Image
Image characteristic
Continuous
The body is solid and well-preserved
Battlements are well preserved
Beacon towers are well preserved
No plant grow on horsesorrel way
and body
Deep grey-white strip shape
Uniform width
Obvious ridge sense
Shadows with thin strip shape
in the wall
Shadows with thick strip shape
outside the wall
Continuous
The body is well preserved
Battlements are well preserved
Beacon towers are well preserved
Some plant grow on horsesorrel
way and body
Grey-white, accidentally greygreen
Uniform width
Obvious ridge sense
Shadows with thin strip shape
in the wall
Shadows with thick strip shape
outside the wall
Continuous
The body is collapsed partly
Battlements are not clear
Beacon towers are collapsed
Some plant grow on horsesorrel
way and body
White-green color
Uniform width
Obvious ridge sense
No shadows with thin strip
shape in the wall
Shadows with thick strip shape
outside the wall
Interrupted
The body is collapsed badly
No battlements exist
Beacon towers are badly collapsed
Horsesorrel way and body are covered
by plant
Grey-green, accidentally greywhite
Inconsistency width
No shadows with thin strip
shape in the wall
Shadows with thick strip shape
outside the wall
Interrupted
The body and beacon towers are badly
damaged
Grey-green strip shape
Uniform width
No ridge sense
No shadows with thin strip
shape in and outside the wall
LI XiaoJuan et al. Sci China Ser E-Tech Sci | Apr. 2008 | vol. 51 | Supp. I | 195-202
1.2 Damaged condition and spatial distribution
According to remote sensing interpretation marks, we give visual interpretation of Great Wall’s
damage condition. Based on field survey the detailed distribution of the wall with different damaged levels is carried out. The damaged conditions of all the segments of Great Wall are listed in
Table 2.
Table 2 Damaged condition of every segment of the Great Wall
Districts and
Damage Districts and
Segments
Segments
counties
level
counties
Badaling
1
Baidaoyu
Badaling
4
Baimaguan
North
Baihebao
5
Dahuangyankou
Chengjiayao
3
Dajiaoyu
Dabeituozi
4
Dashuwa
Donghuiling
5
Donggou
Duanmugou
5
Fanlongshan
Haizikou
5
Yuyugou
Jiuyanlou
4
Gubeikou
Liujiaobao
5
Heiguan
Liugou
4
Heilongtan
Yanqing
Longquanyu
5
Garden
Pianpoyu
5
Huangyukou
Shanghualou
5
Jinshanling
ShifuTemple
3
Nanshipian
Shixia
3
Nanxiangshuiyu
Miyun
Tousi
5
Niupenyu
Xibazi
2
Qiangziliu
Xihuiling
4
Quanshuhe
Xiahualou
5
Shangyu
Xiaozhang4
Shicheng
jiakou
Yingcheng
5
Simatai
Changping
Damaged Districts and
levels
counties
5
Miyun
5
4
3
5
3
2
5
3
3
3
4
5
1
5
5
4
3
3
4
Xingshugouli
5
Zhujiayu
Hefangkou
Huanghuacheng
Huoyanshan
Jiankou
Lianhuachi
Moya
Mutianyu
Shentangyu
Tiekuangyu
Wangquanyu
Xishuiyu
Beijingjie
Dashuiyu
Dazhenyu
Aitaizi
Beishuiyu
Beizhai
4
3
1
4
4
4
5
1
3
4
2
3
2
2
2
3
5
4
3
Hongshimen
3
1
Huayu
Huangsongyu
Reservoir
Jiangjungou
Luojiagou Forest
farm
Sizuolou
Zhongxincun
5
Yingpan
5
Toudaogou
3
Juyongguan
1
WohuMountain
3
Laoyugou
4
Xibailianyu
3
4
3
Xigou Forest farm
Xituogu
4
4
4
Xiwanzi
5
Biyangshihu
Bijiashan
Mentougou
Huangcaolianh
Ling Mountain
Yanhecheng
Huairou
Xiaoshuiyu
Damaged
levels
4
Segments
4
Xiazhazi
3
4
Xiaohuangyankou
4
Pinggu
4
3
5
4
3
With GIS tools (length measuring and statistical summary), we obtained the segment and length
of Great Wall with different damaged levels .The results are as follows: The length of Great Wall
including 6 segments is about 25861 m, accounting for 7.02%; 6 segments are about 24462 m,
belonging to Level 2, and accounting for 6.64% ; 23 segments belong to Level 3, and are about
91527 m, accounting for 24.86%; 27 segments belong to Level 4, being about 98529 m, accounting
for 26.76%; 5 segments belong to Level 5, which are about 127850 m, accounting for 34.72%. It
may be concluded that the damaging of Great Wall is serious, and the protection and reparation
LI XiaoJuan et al. Sci China Ser E-Tech Sci | Apr. 2008 | vol. 51 | Supp. I | 195-202
197
tasks are arduous.
Figure 1 is the spatial distribution map of Great Wall’s damaged condition, which is based on
aerial photos and high resolution satellite images. The most portion of the well-preserved Great
Wall is in Huairou (green and yellow in Figure 1).The badly damaged one is in Yanqing (red in
Figure 1). The damaged condition in Miyun is moderate. Small parts of Great Wall are in Pinggu,
Changping, and Mentougou. But they are damaged badly (red and orange red in Figure 1).
Figure1 Damaged levels of the Great Wall in Beijing.
2
Dynamic change analysis of damage from 1984 to 2004
2.1 Change of damaged condition
From 1984 to 2004, the well preserved Great Wall reduced 33206 m (decreased by 56% by 1984);
the moderate damaged one reduced 15621 m; the residual one increased by more than 51207 m
(increased by 67% by 1984). It shows that the damaged condition of Great Wall is more and more
serious (Table 3).
Table 3 Change of damaged condition from 1984 to 2004 (Length: m)
Damaged level
The length in 1984
The length in 2004
Length change
First
Second
Third
Fourth
Fifth
59067
28853
107148
96518
76643
25861
24462
91527
98529
127850
−33206
−4391
−15621
2011
51207
Length increased / The length in
1984 (%)
−56
−15
−15
2
67
2.2 Spatial distribution of damage change
The change of Great Wall’s damage change from 1984 to 2004 is as Table 4.
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LI XiaoJuan et al. Sci China Ser E-Tech Sci | Apr. 2008 | vol. 51 | Supp. I | 195-202
Table 4 Change of the Great Wall’s damage from 1984 to 2004
Segment
Baihebao
Beijingjie
Beishuiyu
Dazhenyu
Duanmugou
Haizikou
Heilongtan
Huayu
Huangsongyu Rservoir
Jiankou
Jiangjunguan
Lianhuachi
1984
4
1
4
1
1
2
2
4
3
2
2
3
2004
5
2
5
2
5
5
3
5
4
4
3
4
Segment
Liugou
Luijiagou forest farm
Qiangzi road
Shanghualou
Tiekuangyu
Tousi
Wangquanyu
Xibazi
Xiahualou
Xiaozhangjiakou
Yingpan
1984
3
4
2
4
2
3
1
1
4
3
4
2004
4
5
3
5
4
5
2
2
5
4
5
From 1984 to 2004, the damaged condition in 23 segments (about 116 km in sum) had changed,
amounting to one third of the whole Great Wall in length. These segments mainly distribute in
Pinggu, Miyun, and Huairou andYanqing. Further analysis indicates that the spatial distribution of
the Great Wall of the damage in Ming Dynasty has the following characteristics.
(1) Presentation of naturally divided damaged segments caused by natural factors (Table 5). The
segments had been badly damaged for the natural reasons except those repaired. The aging bricks
became flexible and broken. Numerous wild trees and vegetation grew nearby. These phenomena
presented as natural segments. The damaged conditions of the wall are similar, but there are some
differences between segments, resulting from the natural conditions of the local regions. For instance, the rain erosion phenomenon is much more serious in many rainwater regions. Besides, the
weathering phenomenon is serious on mountains[5,6].
Table 5 Natural factors of the Great Wall’s damage
Factor
Distribution of damaged segments
Damaged reason
Weathering
on the mountain ridge or tuyere, with less plant
Rain erosion
in the area with plentiful rainwater
Acid-rain
corrosion
rarely region
The body is easily spalling
Rain Erosion, rammed soil expansion,
soil freezing
Lime, stone carving and bricks are destroyed
Debris flow
Plant
Earthquake
Lightning
Natural force
edge of valleys, ditches, rivers and region with
Collapsed by debris flow
less plant
Plant growth, animals burrows, gnawing
area with dense plant
rhizome
earthquake frequently region
Vibration of the bricks
on the mountain ridge, multiple rainwater region Initiate fire
area with poor construction quality
Aging of binder and gravity
Damaged
condition
slightly
general
severe
severe
slightly
severe
severe
severe
(2) Damage caused by human factors has the following characteristics. 1) Many villages distribute around Great Wall, so it is easily damaged by humans for material need. 2) It is easily
damaged by the tourists because of the low plant easy to access for the people. 3) Great Wall and
the nearby places were crossed by many roads, so it is easily damaged by the tourists because of
their high accessibility. 4) The higher terrain, and the lower accessibility made the possibility of
damage lower. 5) The steeper the slopes, the harder for people to reach. It is less possibly damaged
by humans.
In the last 20 years, the damaged power caused by natural factors was nearly the same, comLI XiaoJuan et al. Sci China Ser E-Tech Sci | Apr. 2008 | vol. 51 | Supp. I | 195-202
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paring to the different degree of damages caused by human factors. The highest damage was
caused by humans.
3 Spatial analysis of damage factors
According to the remote sensing and DEM data, this paper undertook spatial analysis on the key
locality of damaged Great Wall. The emphasis is the characteristics of distance to roads and villages, terrain and land use of surrounding regions, which can provide the basis for dividing protection zones and making protection plans[7,8].
3.1 Distance to roads
Figure 2 is the scatter diagram based on the distance from each segment to its nearest road. Abscissa represents the segment ID; ordinate represents the distance from each segment to its nearest
road. From this figure, we can find the distances from damaged Great Wall to the nearest road are
within 200 m (the average distance from each segment to the road is 385 m in Beijing).The nearer
to the road, the higher the accessibility, and Great Wall is much easier to been damaged.
Figure 2 Roads’ distribution statistical graph of badly damaged segments.
3.2 Distance to villages
Figure 3 is the scatter diagram based on the distance from each segment to the nearest village.
Abscissa represents the segment ID, ordinate represents the distance from each segment to its
nearest village, and each dot represents one segment of Great Wall. From this figure, we can find
that the distances from damaged segments of Great Wall to the nearest villages are within 400 m
(the average distance from each segment to the nearest road is 385 m in Beijing). The nearer to the
villages, the easier they will be damaged by villagers.
Figure 3 Distributed villages’ statistical graph of badly damaged segments.
200
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3.3 Terrain height difference
Figure 4 is the scatter diagram which is based on the height differences between segments of Great
Wall and their nearest villages. It reflects whether it is easy to climb or not. From this figure, we can
find the terrain height differences are almost below 250 m (the average terrain height of Great Wall
in Beijing is 667 m). It may be concluded that elevations of these regions are low, and it is easy to
climb.
Figure 4 Height statistical graph of badly damaged segments.
3.4 Slope
Figure 5 is the scatter diagram of slope. The slopes of damaged segments usually range from 5
degree to 40 degree. The 30 degree slopes are more easily to be damaged. The damage is mainly
caused by tourists’ expedition.
Figure 5 Slope statistical graph of badly damaged segments.
3.5 Land use
Figure 6 shows that the badly damaged segments are almost surrounded by shrubbery, open forest
Figure 6 Land use statistical graph of badly damaged segments.
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lands, enterable cultivated lands and waste grasslands. These segments are easily damaged because
of its high accessibility. Field investigation also validated this conclusion.
4 Conclusion
Based on remote sensing, this paper investigates the damaged condition of the Great Wall of Ming
Dynasty in Beijing. It shows that about 13% of the wall is in good or better condition; 51% is in
moderate or general condition; 36% is severely damaged. By contrasting the damaged conditions
between 2004 and 1984, segments of about 116 km in sum were badly damaged, which make up
one third of the whole Great Wall in length.
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