Story highlights Less than 10% of the 21,000 km Great Wall is in good conditionChina launches campaign to prevent theft of bricks(CNN) The Great Wall is disappearing, brick by brick, and Chinese authorities have had enough. to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the wall was built to defend an empire but parts of it are now crumbling. A new campaign has been launched to protect the ancient fortification that snakes for 13,000 miles (21,000 kilometers) across northern China from criminal damage. Bricks have been stolen to build houses, for agriculture or to sell as souvenirs to tourists -- exacerbating the natural erosion wrought by wind, rain and sandstorms. Built in different stages from the third century B.C.

Source: CNN July 29, 2016 05:03 UTC