Severe damage to Chu Great Wall relics attracts attention

This section of the ancient wall collapsed on A Po Zhai Mountain in Lushan county of Central China's Henan province, by Yang Zhenghua. [Photo/Chinanews.com]

Historical records show that as early as the Spring and Autumn Period, Chu, one of the seven major powers, had constructed the Great Wall to prevent invasion from the northern states such as Wei.

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Guo said that he had discovered traces of wall structures every few hundreds of meters during his 2004 field trip to the remnants.

Moreover, evidence that many local places retain the old names related to ancient military affairs like Jiangjun Shan (General Mountain), Yanbinchang (Drill Field), and Leigutai (Drum Sets) also prove the Chu Great Wall was once built and stretched along the mountain ridges here, Guo added.

Zhang Huaifa, the former director of Lushan Cultural Relics Preservation Bureau, also carried out investigations on the sites of Chu Great Wall ruins for years.

"The perimeter of ancient wall structures on A Po Zhai Mountain is about 20 kilometers. I also discovered pottery shards from the Han Dynasty, Song Dynasty, Ming Dynasty, and Qing Dynasty on the remnants," Zhang said.

Zhang said he felt sorry that there is serious damage to the ancient wall structures on A Po Zhai Mountain and called on relevant departments to strengthen its protection.