Regulations on Qinhuangdao Great Wall to be implemented Sept 1

The Great Wall of Qinhuangdao [Photo/Qinhuangdao Daily]

On August 28, it was announced at a press conference on the implementation of the Regulations on the Protection of the Great Wall of Qinhuangdao that the regulations will be officially implemented on Sept 1.

The Great Wall is the largest and most extensive cultural heritage and important tourism resource in Qinhuangdao. The section has a total length of 223.1 kilometers, with 905 single buildings and 62 fortresses, as well as 565 battlements, 224 bulging bastions and 107 beacon towers. The section of the Great Wall in the territory of Qinhuangdao is considered the most beautiful part of the wall.

In recent years due to disrepair, safety risks have increased. Problems such as illegal construction, over-emphasizing development and utilization and neglecting protection management still exist, and illegal activities such as stealing, dismantling and selling Great Wall building components are still problems too. Daily management of the Great Wall also faces many issues.

In order to protect and manage the Great Wall better, regulate the utilities of the Great Wall and crack down on illegal activities such as selling and buying cultural relics, regulations were proposed in 2016 and 2017 legislation as a project of preliminary research and deliberation by the municipal people's congress standing committee, after being approved by the municipal people's congress committee. On Dec 18, 2017, the sixth session of the standing committee of the 14th National People's Congress of Qinhuangdao approved the regulations.

After official implementation, the definition and extension of Great Wall protection will be focused on, the responsibilities of protection work will be clarified, the publicity, education, public participation, planning protection and construction control will be strengthened, the management mechanism of Great Wall protectors will be improved, the management of Great Wall cultural relics will be strengthened and problem behaviors within Great Wall protection areas will be strictly prohibited.

The regulations also incorporate the latest concepts of Great Wall protection, following the principles of not changing the original state of cultural relics and minimal intervention. Great Wall patrolling police should work actively and establish electronic archives by using new technologies such as remote sensing monitoring and drones. Warning signs should be set up in areas out of the sightseeing zone and in sections where potential safety hazards exist.

According to reports, the municipal people's congress standing committee will consolidate the law enforcement inspection of the Regulations, carry out post-legislative evaluation, and promote strict law enforcement and compliance.