CNN
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Two people have been arrested on suspicion of damaging part of the Great Wall of China with an excavator in northern China, local authorities said.
A 38-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman from Shanxi province have been charged with excavating the Great Wall of China to create a shortcut for nearby construction work, local police said. statement.
To “save travel distances,” they expanded an existing opening in the ancient structure into a gap wide enough for an excavator to pass through, the statement said.
Police said their excavation caused “irreparable” damage to the integrity and security of that section of the wall.
Police in Yuyou County detained two suspects after receiving a report of the incident on August 24. The incident is under further investigation, the statement said.
The Great Wall of China, which served as an important northern defense for successive Chinese empires, spans more than 20,000 kilometers (12,427 miles) and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.
The first part of it dates back more than 2,000 years and was later extended throughout the ancient dynasties of China.
The damaged section of the wall, known as the 32nd Great Wall, dates back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). There is also a relatively well-preserved watchtower, which is registered as a state cultural relic.
Chinese authorities have stepped up protection of the Great Wall in recent years and cracked down on vandalism.
In 2021, three visitors were detained by police and fined for graffitiing the famous Badaling wall with a sharp object.
Later that year, Chinese authorities banned two foreign tourists from entering the Great Wall after they illegally trespassed into undeveloped areas of the Mutianyu area.