The only man-made structure that can be seen from space may not be
visible to the eye even from the ground if the present state of
affairs continues.
The Great Wall by all accounts is 6,300-km long. But 90 percent
of this architectural and engineering marvel is under threat of
disappearing, says a leading Great Wall protection expert.
"Only 10 percent of the existing wall is under protection," said
Dong Yaohui, vice-chairman of the China Great Wall Society, an NGO
championing restoration.
The society's 2006 figures showed that only about 20 percent of
the Great Wall is in reasonable shape, another 30 percent is in
ruins. Which means almost half of it has disappeared.
Only some sections of the Great Wall are listed as conservation
sites, but its major portions, especially those in rural areas,
have escaped attention, he said.
Unfortunately, what remains of the wall is "in danger of
collapse" too, thanks to the weather, erosion and human activities,
he said.
The Regulation on the Protection of Great Wall, the country's
first statute to protect the "national symbol" from further damage,
has done little, even though it was implemented last December, Dong
said.
The regulation stipulates as illegal activities holding of
events in sections of the Great Wall not open to tourists, carving
names, digging the soil, taking out bricks or planting trees along
the wall.
But "with no local budget allocated and shortage of hands in the
State Cultural Relics Bureau, the regulation could be a mere paper,
with no force," said Dong.
The country is likely to come up with a new protection plan in
2009, though, he said. And it is widely expected to ensure more
all-around protection.
Dong urged the entire society to contribute to the cause of
Great Wall protection.
The man who walked the entire stretch of the Great Wall between
1984 and 1985 is 50 today, and has spent more than two decades
studying and protecting the wall.
He is ready to offer consultation on renovation and development
projects, he said, because "commercial renovation has become an
irresistible trend".
Renovation efforts that don't conform to scientific and
professional standards often do more harm than good, he said,
citing the Shahukou section in Youyu County in North China's Shanxi
Province as an example.
(China Daily August 6, 2007)
