Great Wall of China ‘two-thirds destroyed’

Chinese authorities are stating that tourists have caused terrible damage to the Great Wall of China, and that just one third of the legendary landmark is still standing. The Guardian newspaper quotes the Chinese government as saying that much of the wall, which once stretched for some 4,000 miles, has been “vandalised, covered in graffiti and ripped up for use in pigsties and coalmines”. The Xinhua news agency is quoted as saying: “Booming tourism, development and lack of funds for protection are nibbling away at the great wall. Only one third of the wall still exists and the length is still shortening.” The Guardian speculates that the Chinese government will be stung into action because of the vast numbers of tourists expected to visit the country for the 2008 Olympic Games – but points out that on average, a 100-mile section of the Great Wall is tended to by a team of three people and an annual budget of around GBP150. The newspaper also draws attention to one example of the ongoing destruction: apparently, one 14-metre section has recently been torn down by developers and replaced with concrete – all with the permission of the local cultural preservation office.