, or 30 per cent, of the Ming Dynasty wall had disappeared due to natural erosion and human damage . Another 2014 survey done by the Great Wall of China Society, estimated that only about 8.2 per cent of the Great Wall is in good condition, with 74.1 per cent classified as poorly preserved. While parts of the wall had naturally crumbled because of adverse weather conditions including sandstorms, some of the structure has also been subjected to graffiti, vandalism and the pilfering of bricks to be sold on or used for construction. Mining has also been blamed for damage. Heated discussion The latest incident triggered heated discussion online, with some criticising the accused pair for being ignorant about the historical significance of the wall, but others expressing sympathy for them and turning their criticism to the authorities for their lack of protection measures. 'For normal people, who could have figured out this is the Great Wall? All we can see is an invisible mud wall. It needs maintenance, clear signs and publicity if this is truly important,' one person commented on the social media site Weibo. Others agreed that the wall was not clearly marked and looked more like a mound of soil than an ancient monument. One sympathetic comment read: 'Is this [punishment] necessary? There are so many Great Walls, and the valuable ones have been preserved and used as tourist attractions. This part of the Great Wall seemed to be a road anyway. It should be OK to expand a bit.' But others were less understanding about the destruction of China's cultural heritage. 'Regardless of whether they are legally illiterate or not, they should be severely punished! This is irreversible damage, there shouldn't be any excuse,' said one critic. In recent years, the Chinese authorities have stepped up protection of the Great Wall. In 2021, Xinhua news reported that central and local authorities in the 15 provin){kind=link}
Pair arrested and confessed to ‘irreversible’ damage to Ming Dynasty section of Unesco World Heritage Site
A section of the Great Wall of China has been destroyed by construction workers who used an excavator to carve out a shortcut to their work site.
The police say two people have been detained and remain under investigation after they received a report on Aug 24 that a “big gap” had been dug out of a section of the “32nd Great Wall” in Youyu county in the northern Shanxi province.
It is one of China’s surviving complete walls, with watch towers that date back to the Ming Dynasty of 1368-1644, and it is listed as a provincial cultural relic site.
A man, 38, and a 55-year-old woman have reportedly confessed to police that they used an excavator to create a more convenient path through the structure to their construction site. It is not known how much time they saved on their commute by doing so.