Shanhaiguan Pass, about 26 kilometers northeast of Qinhuangdao City in north China's Hebei Province, is the eastern end of the Great Wall. (Xinhua Photo)

The Chinese government has launched a 2.6-billion-yuan (333 million U.S. dollars) project to protect Shanhaiguan Pass at the eastern end of the Great Wall, the Ministry of Culture has announced.

The one-year project involves two sections: 1 billion yuan for the repair of buildings at the site, and 1.6 billion yuan for the protection of cultural relics.

Shanhaiguan Pass, about 26 kilometers northeast of Qinhuangdao City in north China's Hebei Province, is the eastern end of the Great Wall, which starts at Jiayuguan Pass, in northwestern Gansu Province, and stretches for 6,000 kilometers to end at Shanhaiguan, on the shores of Bohai Bay.

Dong Yaohui, deputy president of the China Great Wall Association, said the Shanhaiguan Pass and other parts of the Great Wall had suffered extensive natural and human damage in recent years. Only 30 percent of the wall built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) was still standing.

Construction of Shanhaiguan Pass began in 1381 and was completed in 1402. It comprises 26 kilometers of wall and 129 watchtowers. They were militarily strategic in the defense of Beijing.

However, 3,300 meters of the 4,600-meter wall around a garrison town outside the pass gate have collapsed. Many battlements and watchtowers on the Shanhaiguan Great Wall section have been damaged.

"Apart from repair and protection, we will step up publicity to raise awareness of protection among tourists," said Shi Xiaofeng, director of cultural relics protection bureau of Qinhuangdao City.

The annual tourism revenue of the Shanhaiguan Pass is expected to reach 500 million yuan in 2006 and the number of tourists to top three million.

The city government of Qinhuangdao is planning to open a museum at the Shanhaiguan Pass for tourists to learn more about its history and culture.

"We need to balance the development of tourism and protection of the Great Wall, so we will also strengthen control and supervision of stores, restaurants and other commercial facilities inside the scenic zone of the Shanhaiguan Pass," Shi said.

The Great Wall is unique in its size and complexity. Walls meander thousands of miles, passing through provinces and autonomous regions, including Gansu, Ningxia Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hebei and Liaoning, in north China. Construction of the walls began during the Warring States Period (475-221 B.C.), when separate sections were built in scattered strategic areas.

Like other sites of historical interests around the world, the Great Wall is threatened by damages caused by nature and human activities.

"The size of the Great Wall poses difficulties in protection since a large portion is located in poor, remote areas where few people reside," said Li Shuwang, deputy head of the special zone management committee on Beijing's Badaling section of the Great Wall.

Only a few sections have opened to tourists, and the remainder stand on high remote mountains. "This is a fact we must face in protecting the Great Wall," Li said.

A hip-hop party held on Beijing's Jinshanling section of the Great wall in July last year caused outrage at the possible damage it caused.

China's first ever regulation on the protection of the Great Wall, which bans commercial activities, came into effect early this month.

Individuals who break the regulations can be fined between 10,000 and 50,000 yuan (1,282 to 6,410 U.S. dollars) while institutions can be fined 50,000 to 500,000 yuan (6,410 to 64,100 U.S. dollars).

The regulation, promulgated by the State Council, forbids taking soil or bricks from the Great Wall, planting trees, driving motorcycles, carving on the wall or building anything that does not protect it.

Chai Xiaoming, deputy director of cultural heritage protection of State Administration of Cultural Heritage, said the regulation was as significant as the repair projects as it provided a legal basis for the punishment of those who deface the ancient wonder.

It also played a role in promoting awareness of heritage protection, he said.

The Great Wall is under state key protection in China. It was put on the list of the World Heritage sites of the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) in 1987.

3,300 meters of the 4,600-meter wall around a garrison town outside the pass gate have collapsed. Many battlements and watchtowers on the Shanhaiguan Great Wall section have been damaged. (Xinhua Photo)

The Chinese government has launched a 2.6-billion-yuan (333 million U.S. dollars) project to protect Shanhaiguan Pass.

Editor: Wing