300 Cameras Installed Along the Great Wall to Stop Vandals
By Justine Lopez
Over 300 high-definition cameras have now been placed along the Great Wall in an effort to curb vandalism. The move was made after a series of photographs portraying tourist graffiti at the Badaling section went viral last week.
In addition to the cameras, the government has commissioned patrol teams to scour the area and make sure the iconic structure is not defaced.
Tourists have a long history of etching names, images and phrases into the wall. The viral photos show vandalism in numerous languages, including Chinese, Korean and English. Last year, NBA player Bobby Brown posted an image of his own signature scribbled on the Great Wall, for which he later apologized.
Despite the ongoing problem, Dong Yaohui, an expert on the Great Wall, says that many of the etchings that are seen today were actually put there in the 80s and 90s.
READ MORE: Workers Put Their Lives at Risk to Repair the Great Wall
The new cameras and patrol teams aim to stop tourists from further damaging the Great Wall.
Those who do get caught vandalizing will not only be banned from visiting the Wall, but they will be reported to local police and issued fines.
For more Beijing news, click "Read more" below.