You’d think you would be a little more careful when using explosives next to a national monument. A gold mining firm, Hohhot Kekao Mining Company, is accused of damaging 100 meters of the Great Wall of China while searching for minerals. The company apparently knocked two huge holes, covering a total area of 300 sq m (3,229 sq ft). The damaged section is in Inner Mongolia and dates from the Qin Dynasty (BC221).
Wang Dafang, the head of the regional cultural relics bureau, is not too happy with the situation, citing the damage as “irreparable.” He explains, “Some people think the only part of the Great Wall that needs to be protected is in Beijing. But although the Inner Mongolia wall is more modest, it carries the same significance.”
If evidence being collected right now proves the firm guilty, company officials could face up to 10 years in prison.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I dont think that in this day and age, with the technology we have, that anything that is made with hand tools thousands of years ago could be “irreparable”..
Anywho, they better get started if they want to keep the bad guys out..
great post as usual .. thanks .. you just gave me a few more ideas to play with
Its “irreparable” because of the sentimental value behind it. If we repaired it with our technology then it would not be the same. I believe that people should not be mining next to such a magnificent piece of history.