Jinan's new AI-powered monitoring system will protect the Great Wall of the ancient Qi state, enhancing inspection accuracy and response efficiency for this historic structure.

Stretching more than 600 kilometers, the Great Wall of the ancient Qi state is the oldest existing Great Wall in China. The 218-km section in Jinan runs through rugged mountainous terrain, where traditional manual inspections have faced challenges such as limited coverage and slow response times.

To address these issues, the city has built an integrated "satellite-air-ground" protection network, combining AI visual recognition with drones, satellite remote sensing, and thermal imaging to enable real-time monitoring.

The system has already provided tangible results. In Zhangqiu district, it identified risks caused by invasive plant roots two months in advance, helping prevent structural damage. More than 200 smart monitoring points are now in operation along the Jinan section, increasing hazard detection efficiency by over 80 percent and identifying more than 30 potential risks to date.

Additionally, Jinan is using AI-powered 3D modeling to create a digital twin archive of the Great Wall, preserving detailed structural data and surrounding topography for future conservation.