Maps: Great Wall Map Version 4

[Bryan]

The Great Wall Forum is proud to announce version 4 of our comprehensive map of the Great Wall of China. This map is provided as a kmz file for use with Google Earth and packaged as an msi file for use with Microsoft Windows. You must have Google Earth installed on a Microsoft Windows computer to install and view it. You can download and install Google Earth free.

The map is free, but you must comply with the license agreement to use it. Basically, the agreement contains these rules:

• The map is only for personal, non-commercial use.
• You may not copy, redistribute, or modify the map.
• You are strongly urged to help protect and preserve the Great Wall.

The map is a community project. Users are encouraged to contribute additions, corrections, and suggestions. Special thanks to our members chinoook and Kim, who provided the majority of the data and did most of the work in creating this map.

Only forum members can download the map. Guests must register before downloading the attached map.

Please note that this map does not represent all of the data we have generated so far. Certain locations and categories have been omitted for various reasons. Please let us know if you are interested in the complete map.

Please note also that this map is large and contains much detail. Therefore, it may take a long time for it to load in Google Earth. Please be patient and allow time for it to load.

The Great Wall of China map is a work in progress. This release is dated 2009/06/05 (5 June 2009). Please check back regularly for updates as we continually improve the map.

Important note: This thread has been replaced by Version 5 of the Great Wall Forum map of the Great Wall of China.

[PWCCA]

Great stuff. We really appreciate all the effort that you guys put into all these. Thanks

[FreddyMusic]

Thanks for sharing the map on forum.
I understand it's big work and many effort for our members.

However, the map confused me a little bit.
The map is Great Wall with precise current statues ?
or it's a Great Wall map with variable historical sequence?

I mean, what we are looking for now and future ?
We want to record the Great Wall statues now ( for tourist and protection )
or we want to study all its past ( for other purpose, maybe ) ?

[Bryan]

Originally Posted by FreddyMusic

Thanks for sharing the map on forum.
I understand it's big work and many effort for our members.

However, the map confused me a little bit.
The map is Great Wall with precise current statues ?
or it's a Great Wall map with variable historical sequence?

I mean, what we are looking for now and future ?
We want to record the Great Wall statues now ( for tourist and protection )
or we want to study all its past ( for other purpose, maybe ) ?

The map shows where there is currently visible Great Wall in any condition. It does not indicate where there once was but no longer is a Great Wall.

[Alexandrine]

Hello Bryan,

Thank you so much for this great work ! I have been working also on this project for 1 week before I discoverd your map ....

Just one question : How did you identify some of the parts of the Great Wall which sometimes look like a simple path : have you based your work on a complete map of the Great Wall you may have


Thank you again
Have a good day

[Bryan]

Originally Posted by Alexandrine

Just one question : How did you identify some of the parts of the Great Wall which sometimes look like a simple path : have you based your work on a complete map of the Great Wall you may have

We use a variety of techniques to locate the Great Wall:

• GPS tracks and visual reconnaissance information
• Photographic evidence
• Existing maps
• Information from books and other sources
• Google Earth and other satellite imagery in high-resolution areas
• Any other available evidence

When we use Google Earth imagery, we make sure the location is logical on both a small scale and a large scale.

We have a system for discussing newfound candidates among ourselves and we are very careful not to let inaccuracies slip into our map. We go by the "when in doubt, leave it out" principle.

[feman33]

It is nice to share this map.
Then...I don't know how to use it.
Would you let me know the way?

[Sleepyhamster]

Hello, Byran, I'm eager to see the Great Wall Map Version 4, coz I think it is new. But do you have other ways to download it except Google earth? Help me plz... Google earth is terribly slow in my computer.

[Bryan]

Originally Posted by Sleepyhamster

Hello, Byran, I'm eager to see the Great Wall Map Version 4, coz I think it is new. But do you have other ways to download it except Google earth? Help me plz... Google earth is terribly slow in my computer.

Our maps are exclusively for use with Google Earth. I wish we could offer it to you some other way. But it's a large amount of detailed information and we don't know of any other appropriate means of distribution. If we made an image that had the same accuracy as the Google Earth map, it would be unbelievably big and nearly impossible to use. The Great thing about Google Earth is the flexibility in viewing. You can zoom in and out. You can view terrain (elevation). You can look straight down or at any angle. You can view from any orientation. You can fly along the Great Wall (or any path) at any height, speed, and angle. And along with the Great Wall, you can view the surroundings. You can get exact coordinates, and share them with other mapping programs like GPS software. And so much more. It's really very, very useful.

Here are a few Web pages that might give you some ideas on how to speed up your installation of Google Earth.

http://earth.google.com/userguide/v4/#systemreqs

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/in...7015323AASgPIA

http://forums.cnet.com/5208-6122_102...hreadID=266883

[Sleepyhamster]

Thanks Byran! It is indeed very helpful