What happened

According to sources, two people cut a hole in the wall wide enough for an excavator to pass through. damaged part Dating back to the Ming Dynasty, which lasted from 1368 to 1644.

The incident became known on August 24 when someone reported it to the local security service. The collapsed section of the wall is located in Yangqianhe town of Yuyu County, about 5.5 hours’ drive from Beijing.

Local authorities detained two people allegedly responsible for the destruction. According to the report, these people are a 55-year-old woman and a 38-year-old man from China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. China’s state newspaper China Daily reported that the pair were accused of “destroying a cultural artifact”. Frankly they tried to enlarge the existing small hole to create a short path for the excavator It is on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Unfortunately, they succeeded. The duo were working at a nearby construction site when they were arrested. It was learned that the couple confessed their crime.

China has pledged to preserve all parts of the Great Wall that have survived to this day, but is failing to do so. According to a study conducted in 2019, While 18.4% of this magnificent structure is thought to be poorly preserved, 24% has completely disappeared. for centuries. What remains is a nuisance to many tourists. For example, in June this year, residents caught a man who cut letters on a section of the wall using a key, and in 2021 two tourists were banned from entering the territory of the complex due to entering a restricted area of ​​​​the complex. structure.