He Jinyue, a full-time Great Wall protector, patrols the part of the Jiankou Great Wall restored in 2021 on Dec 1, 2023. [Photo by Zou Hong/China Daily]
The Beijing sections of the Great Wall, spanning more than 520 kilometers across six districts of the capital city, are among the most well-preserved and complex among those meandering through more than 10 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities.
This is thanks to the capital city's consistent restoration efforts over the last four decades, which have kept the ancient bulwark strong.
For example, in June, the Huairou district launched the fifth phase of restoration work for the Jiankou Great Wall, marking a significant milestone in the ongoing conservation efforts of this historical marvel.
Workers work near the north tower of Jiankou Great Wall on July 9, 2024. [Photo by Zou Hong/China Daily]
Stretching over 7,071 meters, the Jiankou Great Wall has undergone four rounds of restoration work since 2016, with a substantial 4,250 meters already revitalized. The latest restoration endeavor targets 915 meters of the Jiankou segment, encompassing the restoration of six watchtowers and five sidewall sections. The completion date is set for the end of November 2026.
Cheng Yongmao, 68, is a Great Wall restoration technical consultant at the Huairou district cultural relics management office and the restoration project's technical director. A Great Wall restorer for 20 years, Cheng has reinstated more than 20 kilometers of the Great Wall within the district.
Cheng Yongmao, technical director of the Jiankou Great Wall’s fifth restoration project, looks out atop the north tower of the Jiankou Great Wall in Huairou district of Beijing, on July 9, 2024. [Photo by Zou Hong/China Daily]
"The utmost luck in life is finding one's mission, and mine is working as a Great Wall restoration craftsman," Cheng said, adding that "there is no excuse for sloppiness in restoring the wall. You have got to have the mindset of embroidering a flower to do the job well."
He Jinyue, a full-time Great Wall protector, patrols the part of the Jiankou Great Wall restored in 2022 on a snowy day on Dec 15, 2023. [Photo by Zou Hong/China Daily]
In 2019, Beijing rolled out the full-time Great Wall protector system. The six districts home to the Great Wall— Yanqing, Mentogou, Huairou, Changping, Miyun and Pinggu— hired full-time employees to safeguard the UNESCO World Heritage site.
He Jinyue, a villager from the Xizhazi Village of the Yanqi township in Huairou district, was selected as a Great Wall protector in 2019.
"The Great Wall is a precious legacy from our ancestors. We should take good care of it so that the future generations can see it," He said.
A worker transports restoration materials with two mules to the foot of the Great Wall in Huairou district of Beijing, on July 9, 2024. [Photo by Zou Hong/China Daily]
Workers carry bricks up the Great Wall in Huairou district of Beijing, on July 9, 2024. [Photo by Zou Hong/China Daily]
A worker restores the Jiankou section of the Great Wall in Huairou district of Beijing, on July 9, 2024. [Photo by Zou Hong/China Daily]
From left: Full-time Great Wall protectors Wang Haiming, Zhang Shaojie and He Jinyue patrol the Jiankou Great Wall on Dec 16, 2023. [Photo by Zou Hong/China Daily]
