The four-year renovation project of the Western Great Wall of China on Gansu Province is now 95 percent complete at a cost of $30 million (195 million yuan).
Local cultural relics authority said that the repair, which started in May 2012, covered the wall along Jiayuguan City, including the Jiayu Pass. The pass is the beginning point of a part of the Great Wall built during the Ming Dynasty, during the year 1368 through 1644.
The renovation include the reinforcement of wooden structures, construction of drainage systems, restoration of paintings and installation of flood and fire control facilities, reported Global Times.
Only a few minor repairs are needed to finalize the renovation, said Wang Tuan, deputy director of Jiayuguan City cultural relics bureau.
Since the bulk of the western section of the Great Wall is made from mud instead of stone, sandstorms and exploitation by farmers resulted in erosion. To fix the damaged parts, experts created different types of mud to replicate the original materials used.
About 1 million tourists visit the Jiayu Pass yearly. The 22,000-kilometer Great Wall was first built when China was ruled by Qin Shihuang to keep out foreign invaders. It spans 10 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions in northern China.
The Great Wall was recently compared to a plan by Republican presidential candidate hopeful Donald Trump to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border to keep illegal Mexican immigrants out of the U.S. The billionaire politician says he plans to name it Great Wall of Trump if he becomes U.S. president, reported The Washington Post.