This masterpiece of human endeavor and UNESCO World Heritage Site is being pilfered for bricks and stones. Neglect is its second enemy where at many stretches, small trees and bushes have pushed through the wall’s stone flooring. And finally it’s the tourists that are propelling the wall to its end.
Serving as a playground for some villages and a source of stones to rebuild houses and roads. Sections of the Wall have become prone omto graffiti and vandalism. Parts have been destroyed because the Wall is in the way of construction sites.
According to a recent report, the Great Wall is not just crumbling. It is disappearing. Roughly half of the estimated 4,000 miles of the wall built during the Ming Dynasty no longer exists.
Now the government is waking up. Strict rules are coming into force from Dec. 1 state- Anyone who defaces the wall with graffiti, removes bricks or organizes events atop sections not open to tourists would face stiff fines and possible criminal penalties.
Another problem is the wall’s growing popularity. Nationally, an estimated 13 million tourists visited the wall last year. But these Chinese tourists are looking for a different experience on the Wild Wall, one connected with adventure. The Great is now under siege from yuppies. Camping near the wall is in vogue and destruction comes alongside.
Champions of the wall’s worthiness need to come together at a bigger level and help change the attitude of the people. Because if preserved it can bring in much needed revenues from Tourism. As Mr. Lindesay is quoted to have said:
There is great hope from people who live near the wall, and from experts who study it, that the Great Wall can be recovered, It had a bad century in the 20th century.
Via: The New York Times
