The Changping Cultural Committee intervened Wednesday to halt prohibited construction two meters from the Great Wall.

"There was a building, but they are only doing renovation," said Zhang Fusheng, head of the committee's Cultural Heritage Protection office. "There was no damage to the foundation of the Great Wall."

The building, which occupies nearly 1,000 square meters, had been under construction near the Shangguancheng section (between Juyongguan and Badaling) for over one month, the Legal Mirror reported.

No protection had been used to separate this section of the Great Wall from the construction site, according to the paper. "We suspended construction because they didn't file an application," Zhang said. "We'll investigate further if the makeover can continue." Construction won't resume until approval is granted, he added.

The building belongs to the Ming Tombs Tree Farm. "We don't have construction plans this year," a staff member surnamed Xu told the Global Times, adding she was unsure about renovation plans.

A worker at the construction site told the Legal Mirror that the project included a 3,000 square-meter tourism plot reserved for two buildings.

A city resident surnamed Ma reported the building on the Beijing Municipal Administration of Cultural Heritage's website on April 19.