Broken Great Wall

Chinese people are proud of their over-2,000 years old Great Wall. When they set foot on the famous walls such as Badaling Great Wall, they say, "Check the giant dragon!" However, these visitors rarely know that most parts of the Great Wall are not so great; they are just broken stones and bricks lying in the remote mountains, grasslands and deserts.

The Great Wall is different from other cultural relics in that it cannot be kept in museums, which presents great difficulty in protecting it. At present, almost entire sections of the wall are being left as they are. These sections, together with the surrounding farmland, once located near the borders of deserts have already been swallowed by the flowing sand. For example, sections of the wall near Maowusu Desert and Tenggeli Desert have disappeared forever. In Gansu, Ningxia, Shaanxi and Shanxi, the sections are mostly rammed-earth construction, so they are easily brushed away by the perennial affect of wind and rain. Many sections are hard to recognize without experts' instructions. The brick walls lying in Tianjin, Beijing and Hebei have little better fate. Having experienced countless winds and rains, these walls are collapsing brick by brick every day.

Besides natural influences, experts also point out that human activity is another big enemy of the Great Wall. It is a common phenomenon that many residents living near the wall take bricks or stones to build their houses. It is not surprising to see farmers dig the wall to create their sheepfold or latrine. Many walls are cut off just because they block the extension of modern highways.

In September of 2006, the Great Wall welcomed its new page in history when the Chinese State Council promulgated the Regulation on Protection of Great Wall. It regulates people's behavior on the wall. This historic and great decision brings the wall the hope to survive. So all of us must enhance our personal consciousness to protect the Great Wall, at the same time being proud of it!

Unprotected Great Wall  in Yulin, Shaanxi

Local farmers dig the wall  to make their sheepfold.