The Great Wall of China, built for centuries to stop armies, does not seem to have been enough to stop today’s builders. A small section of the Great Wall was severely damaged by construction workers looking for a shortcut in restoring the monument.
According to the state-run China Daily newspaper, two people have been arrested for using machinery to breach a section of the Great Wall near Youyu in central Shanxi province. Local police charged the duo with destruction of a cultural relic after receiving reports of damage on August 24. The suspects were captured by following a trail from the damaged wall into neighboring Horinger County.
The Great Wall of China is the name given to an entire series of ancient walls and defensive structures spanning more than 20,000 kilometers across northern China. It was built continuously for centuries, from the 3rd century BC to the 17th century AD, as part of a military project to protect the Chinese Empire. Considering its great historical and architectural importance, it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.
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