Over the course of centuries, from the 3rd century B.C.E. to the 17th century C.E., Chinese emperors contributed to the construction of the Great Wall of China in the hopes of protecting their land from northern nomadic invaders. Though now many know the Great Wall of China to span a total of 20,000 kilometers (or 13,171 miles), it originally stood as separate walls scattered throughout the northern part of China. These individual walls were constructed during the Warring States Period, a time in which China was divided into a number of independent kingdoms.
It wasn’t until around 220 B.C.E. that Emperor Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of a unified China, ordered the walls be joined together to protect the entire nation from northern invaders and to further symbolize their joint unification. Because of its origin as separate walls, the Great Wall of China varies in the material it is made of, ranging from brick to quarried granite and marble, though it is primarily composed of earth and stone. During the Ming Dynasty, emperors added watchtowers and platforms to the wall, making it the wall we recognize today.
Upon the death of emperor Qin Shi Huang, the wall fell into disrepair, after which several frontier tribes took control of northern China. One of them, known as the Northern Wei Dynasty, repaired and extended the wall to defend themselves against other tribes. The wall saw similar repairs and extensions during the Bei Qi Kingdom and Sui Dynasty.
The wall has been used as a military fortification throughout various wars and under the control of various emperors. It has even been used to protect merchants and caravans traveling the Silk Road trading routes during the Yuan Dynasty. Yes, the Great Wall of China has survived a lot, but alas, it did not survive the deliberate defacement at the hands of two Chinese construction workers seeking a shortcut on Aug. 24.
According to the China Daily, “a man surnamed Zheng and a woman surnamed Wang used an excavator to widen a gap on a section of the No. 32 Great Wall in Youyu county in late August.”
Police found out about the incident after receiving a report and conducted a search in the Shanxi province where they located the suspects in Horinger county.
The individuals had been contracted to work on a construction project nearby and planned to move their heavy machinery through the gap, but since it was not wide enough, they thought it would be easier to excavate through the gap. Upon being detained, the suspects admitted to their wrongdoing and were charged with destruction of a cultural relic. Nevertheless, irreversible damage had been done to “the 32nd Great Wall, which dates back to the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644),” according to NPR.
This is not the first time a historic monument has been defaced, and sadly, it likely won’t be the last. Just last year on June 24, 2023, Ryan Lutz, a tourist from Orange, California visiting Rome, caught a man on film carving his name and that of his apparent girlfriend with a key on Italy’s Colosseum. The video, posted on YouTube, shows a man having fun etching words onto the monument. The carving reads “Ivan + Haley 23.”
The video alerted police of the incident and aided in the identification of the man believed to be behind the crime. According to the Guardian, Ivan Danailov Dimitrov is a man from Bristol, England who works as a fitness trainer. If convicted, Ivan could face a fine of at least 15,000 euros (about 16,200 U.S. dollars) and a prison sentence of up to five years. The Italian culture minister, Gennaro Sangiuliano, stated the act “offended those around the world who appreciate the value of archaeology, monuments and history. Now I hope justice will take its course by rigorously applying the laws.”
Ivan Danailov Dimitrov had been caught by Italian military police, who cross checked the names etched into the Colosseum with registered guests in Rome. In a letter of apology, Ivan Danailov Dimitrov claims ignorance of the monument’s historical value writing “I admit with deepest embarrassment that it was only after what regrettably happened that I learned of the monument’s antiquity,” according to the New York Times.
However, a monument need not be defaced to become the center of fury among social media users. In Nov. of 2022, a then 29 year old woman from Spain named Abigail Villalobos illegally climbed the Temple of Kukulcán, a Mesoamerican pyramid in Yucatán, Mexico. The pyramid was built by the Mayans between the 8th and 12th centuries C.E. and as of 2006, had been closed off from the public to prevent further erosion. Visitors are allowed to walk around the monument but are no longer allowed to enter it.
That, however, did not prevent Villalobos from ascending the stairs and upon reaching the top, danced and posed for the cameras below capturing her trespass. Videos of the incident were posted on TikTok. Once she descended from the monument, Villalobos was met with insults by the angry onlookers who chanted “jail,” “idiot” and “a-hole” in Spanish to her. She was fined 5,000 pesos (which is roughly 257 U.S. dollars).
The destruction or disrespect towards historical artifacts or monuments is upsetting and should be condemned.
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