Travelers who have placed the Great Wall of China on their bucket list should soon plan a visit to the Asian giant. The iconic Chinese landmark is fast crumbling due to age and human activities.
The 2012 report by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage notes that of the 6,259-kilometre Great Wall of China, built during the Ming Dynasty, less than 10 percent is well preserved. About 31 percent, or 1,961 kilometers has disappeared, while the remaining 59 percent are dilapidated, caused by wind and rain as well as human intervention, reports Globaltimes.
Among the human activities that has caused the fast deterioration or disappearances of parts of the wall, a World Heritage site and the world's biggest defense project in terms of geographical coverage, are stealing of bricks. It is a rampant practice in Shanxi Province where over 3,500 kilometers of the wall are found. The bricks were dug out and used to build homes and other facilities, especially during the 1970s at the height of the agricultural development campaign.
In Yuyou country, still part of Shanxi Province, sections of the wall in Shahukou were stolen and residents rebuilt that damaged portion with a new design that critics and conservation experts describe as tacky.
To protect and conserve the remaining parts of the tourist attraction, the government of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region announced on Jan. 4 the launch of a five-year plan that would create a comprehensive administration system for the wall. It would kick off with a survey covering over 7,000 kilometers in Inner Mongolia.
The survey aims to identify the most endangered parts that were destroyed by natural calamity or near major highways and construction projects. Inner Mongolia targets to restore those sections by 2020. Parts of the Inner Mongolia section of the wall were built over 11 different periods in China's history, beginning in the 4th century BC, reports Theartnewspaper.