China's great wall being renovated with crowdfunding

The next stage of the renovation will start after a new round of crowd-funding is launched.

Beijing: Renovation of a key section of China's iconic Great Wall in Hebei Province has started with the support of the online crowdfunding amounting to USD 4.4 lakhs, local officials said today.

In the first stage, workers will repair a 132-meter-long section of Panjiakou Great Wall without altering the original appearance, the local government of Kuancheng Manchu Autonomous County said.

Liu Yunquan, head of the county's cultural relics protection institute, said that the renovation was funded by an online crowdfunding campaign launched by China Foundation for Cultural Heritage Conservation in 2016.

More than 174,000 people contributed to the fund, which raised 2.81 million yuan (USD 4.4 lakh) for the first stage of the renovation which is expected to complete in October, Liu said.

Measuring around 1,500 meters in length, the Panjiakou section of the Great Wall was built in Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). It is in poor condition due to damage caused by rain and wind, and years of disrepair.

Liu said the next stage of the renovation will start after a new round of crowd-funding is launched.

Built during the third century B.C. by the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the Great Wall stretches over 21,000 kms.

Over four million tourists visit the Great Wall every year as it is the centre of China's tourism campaign.