Many of the Great Wall's most picturesque spots are sadly being ruined by graffiti scrawled on the ancient stones. But, from April 3, a special signature wall will be established for those who really want to leave something behind to celebrate their visit to one of the world's greatest wonders.

At the foot of Juyongguan Pass, about 80 km northwest of central Beijing, there is a wall more than 200 meters long and 4.8 meters high. The project entitled "The Great Wall and I" has not yet officially begun, but people are already contributing money in order to leave their mark.

Liu Wenzhong, director of administration office of Juyongguan Pass said, "I feel very sorry whenever I see scribbles on the Wall. So we decided to inject both financial and human resources into creating a better environment."

The signature wall will be divided into 20 parts, each devoted to people coming from different areas and of different ages.

It's a novel solution to a worldwide problem. And one that may help instills an environmentally friendly attitude into visitors to historic sites in China. The adage "take nothing but photos and leave nothing but pictures" is one to remember.

(CCTV.com April 8, 2004)