Qingshuihe county prioritizes preservation of Great Wall

A section of the Great Wall in Qingshuihe county, Hohhot, built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) [Photo/chinanews.com]

Authorities in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region have worked hard to preserve their stretch of the Great Wall over the past few years.

The plans include specific protection measures on how to protect key sections and how to manage visitors.

The Great Wall, an important national symbol, is actually not just one wall, but many interconnected walls. And preserving the Great Wall is not an easy task.

The protection of a section of the Great Wall in Qingshuihe county, Hohhot, built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) has faced many challenges over the past 30 years. 

Due to a lack of awareness of the importance of protecting the Great Wall, some locals previously took bricks from the ancient wall to build their houses. The section was in a poor condition before 1990.

In 2001, the section was listed as an important heritage site under State protection by the State Council. Some residents established a protection team out of a sense of responsibility to preserve the ancient structure in 2007, and now the team has 25 members. In 2012, the local government founded a protection station in the village of Qingshuihe county.

"Government and grassroots organizations have worked well together to protect the Great Wall over the past 30 years," said Liu Jianguo, head of the cultural relics preservation department in Qingshuihe county.

Recently, the local government has also enacted new measures like establishing groups for renovation work, and carrying out regular inspections. 

Protection of the Great Wall has improved, but more still needs to be done.

Liu stressed that strengthening awareness of protecting the Great Wall among visitors is the main task at the moment.

He expressed his hopes that the government will provide more financial support for the protection of the Great Wall.

A section of the Great Wall in Qingshuihe county, Hohhot, built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) [Photo/chinanews.com]