Is the Great Wall of China slowly disappearing?

Around 30% of The Great Wall of China is disappearing over time as a result of natural conditions and reckless human activities, like stealing bricks to build houses, reports suggest.

A Beijing Times report suggested that the Great Wall is being dilapidated due to various reasons. The study has been prepared by The Great Wall of China Society.

According to the study, even the plants growing in the walls have accelerated the decay. 

According to previous reports, the villagers living around the Great Wall used to steal grey bricks and the slabs engraved with Chinese characters were reportedly sold for 30 yuan each by them. This has contributed in the disappearing of the wall. 

Vice president Dong Yaohui was quoted by Beijing Times as, "Even though some of the walls are built of bricks and stones, they cannot withstand the perennial exposure to wind and rain. Many towers are becoming increasingly shaky and may collapse in a single rain storm in summer."

One of the modern wonders of the world, the Great Wall was built in the Ming Dynasty in the third century BC. It is not a single unbroken structure, but is spread in stretches across kilometres in sections.

Its estimated total length is measured to be somewhere between 5,600 miles to 13,000 miles, depending on the inclusion of missing sections.