Mention
of the Great Wall evokes an image of a huge dragon flying freely
on beautiful mountains. Unfortunately, this great image exists
only in the well-protected Great Wall scenic areas, such as the
Badaling Great Wall, Mutianyu Great Wall, and Simatai
Great Wall. Most other sections lie broken in remote vast
grasslands and boundless deserts, exposed to thousands of years
of rains, snows and winds. Many were swallowed by sand before
becoming known to the world. The matter of protecting the Great
Wall cannot be delayed.
The Great Wall, owing to its huge bulk, long length and variant
construction materials, is difficult to protect well compared
to other relics which can be kept in museums. Besides natural
disasters such as storms and earthquakes, the wall also suffers
from human sabotage. There are four primary types of man-made
sabotages. The first is the taking of bricks, earth and stones
from the wall for constructional materials. The second is modern
construction (such as the highway building) that develops at the
price of damaging the wall. The third is damage
caused by tourism access development. In recent years, people
have learned the importance of wall protection. Since they innocently
repair the wall according to their own imagination without concern
for its historical appearance, this is also considered a kind
of damage.
Being one of the world
cultural and natural heritages, the Great Wall of China, belongs
to the world, so everyone has the responsibility to protect it.
Visitors should behave themselves on the wall, never defacing
the bricks, never
moving the bricks and never throwing litter about. People who
live near the wall should not take bricks, stones and earth from
the wall to build their own houses, or dig in the wall for sheepfolds
or latrines. Officials should complete and enforce relevant regulations
and laws. In September of 2006, the State Council promulgated
the regulation on the protection of the Great Wall which went
into effect on December 1 of the same year.