Beijing to renovate dilapidated wild Great Wall section

[Photo/CGTN]

Renovation work at the Jiankou section of the Great Wall, a well-known wild section of the serpentine structure in great danger of collapse, is expected to start in May, according to local authorities in Beijing.

Guo Dapeng, deputy director of Huairou Cultural Commission, said a 1,000-meter section has already been renovated, and noted that the commission plans to finish rehabilitating the remaining part by 2020.

The Jiankou section of the Great Wall stretches for 7.7 kilometers and houses 51 watchtowers. Renovation work will cost 155 million yuan ($24 million).

"We will try our best to keep its original looks, and use as few old bricks as possible," said Guo, adding that they are aiming to set a new standard for renovation work of the Great Wall with their project.

The Jiankou section of the Great Wall in clouds in Huairou district, Beijing. [Photo/Xinhua]

"We will make public the progress of the project, and the expenditures. The designers would be on site all the time, and those who financed the project would also pay a visit there to help monitor the progress," he added.

Guo added that the project will be part of a plan to preserve and renovate the wild parts of the Great Wall, which will also involve the preservation of ancient structures surrounding the mammoth architecture.

Huairou district will also build a "Belt and Road" museum, with an area of 1,519 square meters. It will be located near the Yanqi Lake Resort, which hosted world leaders during the 2017 Belt and Road Forum and the 2014 APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting.

The Yanqi Lake Resort in Huairou district, Beijing. [Photo/Xinhua]

The museum will also include the gifts received and tableware used during the high-profile political events. Local authorities have been collecting designs, and the museum is expected to be completed by the end of 2018, and will be open in January next year.

According to a survey in 2006, the remaining Great Wall sections in the city stretch for 573 km, of which 526 km date back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).