Great Wall losing the battle for survival
Print Edition
The Great Wall of China is under assault from both man and nature, and preservation is proving to be no easy task.
Sections of the wall running through the wilderness of Funing County in north China’s Hebei Province are crumbling and leaving large gaping holes.
It is not an uncommon sight. Exposure to the elements has left many parts of the structure too fragile to withstand bad weather. In 2013, several towers in Funing collapsed during a downpour. One 36-meter section in Hebei was destroyed by a storm in 2012.
Overgrown plants are also accelerating the decay and trees have taken root between the bricks.
Tourism and other human activities are also contributing to the wall’s demise.
In Lulong County, many of the homes are built with thick grey bricks, remarkably similar to the ones used for the wall.
One female villager, who refused to be named, said people used to take bricks from the wall to use as building material. However, she said that now there was much more interest in protecting the wall.
Despite this, some bricks — those that feature ancient Chinese characters — are still being stolen. They usually change hands for around 40 yuan (US$6.40) on the black market.
The Great Wall was built from the third century BC to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The existing sections are mainly the Ming wall, which stretches over 8,800 kilometers. Less than 10 percent of the wall is considered well-preserved, while about 30 percent has disappeared.
In 2006, a regulation on Great Wall protection was released, however, the sheer size of the structure makes it difficult to enforce.
Dong Yaohui, vice head of China Great Wall Society, said: “As much of the Great Wall is in the wild it is impossible to ensure intensive protection.
“Local authorities lack the money and labor to preserve the whole structure.”
In Funing, a stretch of around 140 kilometers is managed by nine people. In Zhangjiakou, the wall passes through many impoverished counties whose governments have more pressing priorities. Many sections, particularly in areas on provincial borders, are neglected.
Some well-meaning, but poorly informed officials have taken it upon themselves to restore parts of the wall without staying true to the original character of the structure, Dong said. A county government in east China’s Shandong Province even repaired a 2,000-meter section, which dated back to between 770 and 476 BC, in a “modern Ming style,” he said.
“We should not solely rely on local cultural relic departments to protect our national heritage,” Dong said. “Besides more investment, central and local governments should bring in private capital and encourage local people to get involved.”
He called for a protection plan to be drawn up that would define and coordinate the obligations of different provinces and government departments.
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