As Great Wall vanishes, restoration is vital

One protector of the Great Wall in Funing county, Qinghuangdao city, Heibei province, points to a damaged section of the historical structure. [Photo/ China Youth News]

"The Great Wall has received a total of 100 million yuan ($15.79 million) for its protection every year since 2006," Zhang said. However, the giant structure stretches over 20,000 kilometers and passes across more than 400 counties, which means that one average, one kilometer of the wall received less than 5,000 RMB ($789.5) for restoration and protection. Therefore, a reasonable distribution of the limited money becomes essential.

"What was done is development-oriented. The money is used in the places where business can be developed, such as Badaling and Shanhaiguan Great Wall tourist spots," Zhang said, "but such places are not where the protection is most needed. Some sections of the wall are in the desert or prairie, and they are at the edge of disappearing."

Based on China Youth News' report, the distribution of funds for cultural heritage is rather uneven. For example, in Zhangjiakou city, the Great Wall section in Dajingmen gets 6.2 million yuan ($980,000) whereas Jimingyi village (an ancient village in Huailai county, Zhangjiakou city) receives 500 million yuan ($78.95million)，more than eight times that given to Dajingmen.

The Great Wall was listed as a World Cultural Heritage in 1987. The history of the Great Wall dates back to the Zhou dynasty (1,046 BC to 771 AD) and the construction was extended and restored through different times. The section built in the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644 AD) is the most essential and complete part. It starts in Hushan, Liaoning province, in the east and ends at Jia Yuguan, Gansu province, in the west, crossing different regions of the country, such as Hebei, Tianjin, Beijing, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia and Qinghai.