tific approach. To a large extent,
scattered bricks and stones that
have been unearthed can be
recycled for restoration work.”
The material used to build the
wall has been retained as much as
possible, and a principle of mini-
mum intervention was adopted
for the project, Zhang said.
Shang Heng, a researcher
at the Beijing Archaeological
Research Institute, said the 323-
mile section of the Great Wall in
Beijing passes through six dis-
tricts along the Yan mountains. A
small part of the structure dates
back to the 6th century, but
most of it was built during the
Ming Dynasty.
The watchtowers and lower
stones were put in place in the
14th and 15th centuries, particu-
larly during the reign of Emperor
Yongle, who moved the national
capital from Nanjing, in what is
now Jiangsu province, to Beijing.
Reinforced brick walls were
not erected on a large scale until
the mid-16th century, during the
reign of Emperor Jiajing. The
structure’s defenses were further
strengthened during the reign of
Emperor Wanli (1573-1620), when
the Jiankou section was built.
Zhang Zhonghua, deputy di-
rector of the Beijing institute, said:
“Studying archaeology on the
Great Wall is an interdisciplinary
program that also involves stud-
ies of ancient architecture and the
surrounding environment.
“These studies enable us to
figure out the type of risks that
threaten the stability and safety of
the wall, helping us draft plans to
prevent potential threats.”
Construction of the Great Wall
took more than 2,000 years,
from the Qin (221-206 B.C.) to
Han (206 B.C. to A.D. 220) dy-
nasties and in the Ming Dynasty.
The wall is 13,170 miles long
and passes through 15 provinces,
administrative regions and mu-
nicipalities, the National Cultural
Heritage Administration says.
About 5,550 miles of the wall was
built during the Ming Dynasty.
In January 2019 a master plan
for the structure was published
by the State Council. The aim
is to comprehensively guide
protection, renovation, manage-
ment and academic research
related to the wall until 2035.
In July 2019 a national plan
to establish Great Wall cultural
parks was published. Since then
the National Cultural Heritage
Administration has listed 83 key
sections of the structure as candi-
dates for these parks, and about
20 projects for such venues have
been approved this year.
Chai Xiaoming, director of the
Chinese Academy of Cultural
Heritage, said: “Because the
Great Wall is a cultural icon in
China, most Chinese people think
they’re familiar with it. In fact, we
aren’t. Its specific cultural value
still needs to be better explained
and studied in depth.”
Archaeologists are particularly
interested in a 6-mile section of
the wall built during the Ming Dy-
nasty in Jingbian county, northern
Shaanxi province. The section is
home to the Qingpingbu site, a
castle ruin buried in sand.
Numerous porcelain pieces
unearthed at the site are
evidence that the castle was situ-
ated on a regular trade route.
Yu Chunlei, a researcher at the
Shaanxi Institute for the Preser-
vation of Cultural Heritage and
Archaeology, said: “As a result
of booming trade, there was
frequent communication among
different cultures and ethnic
groups in this area. The Great Wall
thus became a crossroads where
agrarian culture to the south and
nomadic culture to the north
mixed, forming a shared commu-
nity of Chinese civilization.”
Additional information is on file with the Department of Justice, Washington, D.C.
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The remains of a tower erected on the Great Wall during the Ming Dynasty
unearthed in Yanqing district, Beijing, in 2018. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY
But the reason the video,
which is titled Rhapsody on the
Luo River Goddess, created
such an impression and has
generated such a wave of public-
ity is that it was shot underwater.
He Haohao plays the role of god-
dess. She masters not only her
art but the technique of holding
her breath as her lungs strug-
gle to carry out their function.
All this is done with the most
serene expression.
The tale captures the en-
chanting appeal of that ancient
Chinese goddess, whom Cao Zhi
said was “as elegant as a star-
tled swan goose and as supple
as a swimming dragon”.
“The performance is amazing
and almost dreamlike,” one
viewer wrote on Sina Weibo. “It
vividly brings a flying fairy alive.”
Another viewer wrote: “The
combination of underwater
cinematography and traditional
Chinese dance is so beautiful,
which enables viewers to appre-
ciate traditional Chinese culture
in a fresh way.”
He Haohao said she read a
number of books about ancient
Chinese goddesses and was in-
spired by flying fairies portrayed
in the mural paintings of the
Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang
city, Gansu province.
To control buoyancy she
wears specially adapted weights
of about 22 pounds to help her
stay submerged. She also tied
fishing lines to her costumes to
prevent the material from be-
coming entangled under water.
Without the use of breathing
apparatus, she took a large gulp
of air before entering the water.
“It took the team about 20
seconds to fix my long robes in
the water, which are made of
silky cloth. The longest piece
of cloth is about 20 ft. Then I
danced in the water and held
my breath for another 20 to 40
seconds. We repeated that proc-
ess many times.”
SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY
A roof decoration unearthed from the
Qingpingbu site in Shaanxi province.
PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY
CULTURAL HERITAGE HAS ITS OWN
LIFE. EACH RENOVATION PROJECT
OVER THE YEARS HAS BEEN AN
INTERVENTION IN THE WALL’S LIFE,
PROVIDING CRUCIAL INFORMATION.”
ZHANG JIANWEI, ARCHAEOLOGY PROFESSOR AT PEKING UNIVERSITY
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