The Great Wall mystery solved

"I've visited many sections of the Great Wall around China. Some were located in such inhospitable places that our team could only map six to seven kilometers each day," Ma says, adding that Tencent Foundation has donated 10 million yuan ($1.4 million) for repairs to the Jiankou section of the Great Wall in Beijing.

"The traditional Chinese and English language versions of the book are under preparation for release this year," Ma says.

He says the book is also for public information and that all of the copyright royalties will go to the China Foundation for Cultural Heritage Conservation.

Hou Ke, deputy director of the special public fund for the protection of the Great Wall under the China Foundation for Cultural Heritage Conservation, says among all the sections of the Great Wall, only a small portion have been developed into scenic areas, and there is a need for people to know more about the Great Wall than just as a tour site.