Part of Jin Dynasty Great Wall damaged

• Source: Xinhua
• [14:47 July 13 2009]
• Comments

The road construction site,15 meters away from the main body of the Great Wall

A section of Jin Dynasty (1115-1234) Great Wall in northeast China has been severely damaged by a road construction project, according to the local cultural authorities on Friday.

"The section of the Great Wall in Heilongjiang's border region with Inner Mongolia has been irrevocably damaged," said Zhao Pingchun, deputy head of the relic protection office under the Heilongjiang Provincial Culture Bureau.

Heavy construction traffic has damaged the supporting walls and ditches of the Great Wall according to a Xinhua reporter on location.

Wang Dafang, a relic protection official with the Inner Mongolia regional culture bureau, confirmed that "damages were made by a road construction project on the Inner Mongolia side of the Great Wall."

The officials said Friday the construction on both sides of the Great Wall has been stopped. Authorities from Inner Mongolia and Heilongjiang are investigating the damages.

"Workers have dug footing grooves 14 meters long and 10.5 meters wide for the building support beams for a viaduct, which are only 15 meters away from the main body of the Great Wall," said Zhao, who made a field investigation on the Great Wall damage in Gannan County, Heilongjiang.

Wu Jie, a curator in an archaeological museum in Arong Banner, Inner Mongolia, said that big holes were dug five meters away from the main body of the Great Wall.