Absolutely tragic that something with this much history would be destroyed so carelessly.
The Great Wall of China is apparently in big trouble, due to legal and illegal mining around the structure in a push to develop the country’s resources, has lead parts of it – some as long as 100 miles – to literally crumble!
According to engingeer Guo Jianyong:
“We have no idea how many enterprises are engaged in mining along the Great Wall.”
Apparently, China’s Land Resources Bureau is not required to consult with the Department of Cultural Heritage when issuing mining permits, which has meant that various operations – looking for copper, iron, molybdenum, nickel, etc. – can get within 100 meters of the Wall!
Dong Waohui, the vice-chairman of the Great Wall Association, explains:
“There was a regulation to protect the wall in 2006, but the wall is so long it is hard to enforce… And the general awareness of the wall’s problems is low. People just think of the famous sections and assume that the rest of the wall is in the same condition.”
So sad!
It’s a marvel in itself that the structure is 4,000 miles and still standing, so to think that so many would have so much disrespect for their country’s history and achievements by letting it just be destroyed is unfathomable to us!
We sincerely hope that the proper attention can be brought to this issue, and efforts can be made to restore the Great Wall to the glory it once had!
[Image via WENN.]