China arrests 2 for opening a path through a section of the Great Wall

2023-09-06 06:49:04

BEIJING (AP) — The Great Wall of China has been breached by Chinggis Khan, by the Manchus, and now, supposedly, by a couple of construction workers named Zheng and Wang who wanted a shortcut.

Chinese authorities arrested two people for cutting a path through a section of the ancient wall, a cultural and heritage icon that is protected by the United Nations.

The affected area was a wrecked section, far from the restored parts that most Chinese and foreign tourists are familiar with.

State media showed a dirt road through the wall in a rural landscape in Youyu County, hundreds of kilometers (miles) west of Beijing, and identified the suspects as a 38-year-old man surnamed Zheng and a woman. 55-year-old woman surnamed Wang. The couple wanted a shorter route for construction work they were doing in nearby towns, according to reports.

China prides itself on a system of towers and walls, wide enough for carriages to pass, stretching for some 8,850 kilometers (5,500 miles), built mainly during the Ming dynasty, which ruled until 1644.

In that year, the northern Manchu tribes overcame the Chinese defenses and took over the empire as the Qing dynasty.

The wall was left abandoned and looted by those who lived nearby in search of bricks and stones. But the communist government revived it as a symbol of patriotism, mass mobilization and resistance to outside pressure.

The Youyu county government said the arrests were made following an incident report received on August 24. The two suspects are in custody pending further legal action.

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