Great Wall of China 'Severely Damaged' by Workers — What Happened

Alison Fox
·2 min read
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Police received the report of the damage on Aug. 24 and the alleged suspects were detained.

A section of the Great Wall in China was severely damaged after construction workers dug out a large gap as a shortcut to get their equipment through.

The wall was “severely damaged” after a man and woman widened a pre-existing gap in the ancient wall to move their excavator to a nearby construction site in an effort to save time, according to a statement from the police department in Youyu County, as per The New York Times. Police said this caused “irreversible damage to the integrity” of the wall.

Police received the report of the damage on Aug. 24 and the alleged suspects were detained.

The Great Wall of China stretches across China’s northern border with a history that dates back more than 2,000 years. In 1987, the beloved wall was listed as a World Heritage site by UNESCO.

The section that was damaged sits near the township of Yangqianhe.

Most of what remains of the Great Wall of China for travelers to see today was built during the Ming dynasty between 1368 AD and 1644 AD. The wall, which is more of a series of walls and fortifications rather than one continuous wall, was originally built as a wartime defense.

Today, many travelers flock to the man-made wonder as an easy day trip from Beijing.

Getting to China just got a lot easier as well since the country dropped its mandatory COVID-19 testing for incoming travelers last month. China first eased international travel rules in March, but previously required travelers to take a COVID-19 test before their departure.

However, the U.S. Department of State still warns against visiting the country, issuing a “Level 3” travel alert and urging Americans to “reconsider travel to Mainland China due to the arbitrary enforcement of local laws, including in relation to exit bans, and the risk of wrongful detentions.”

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