Visitors to China's Great Wall could have the chance to see a scene straight out of history over the next two months -- mule drivers carrying building materials to the ancient monument.
Cultural heritage authorities have commissioned a team of seven mules to transport bricks and lime to rebuild the Badaling section of the Great Wall, northwest of Beijing.
Chen Zhimin, a farmer of Yezhao village in Chengde city, north Hebei Province, told Xinhua Tuesday that his mule team would carry420 tonnes of materials in the next 60 days to rebuild a 10-kilometer section of the 600-year-old Great Wall.
"The steep mountain terrain is inaccessible to vehicles, but it's an easy task for mules," said the 47-year-old, who will drive the mule team with six fellow villagers.
Chen and his mules set off at 7 a.m. each day and end work at 6p.m..
"Every mule has to carry 250 kg each time, and every day the mule team makes four 30-km return journeys," said Chen.
However, sometimes the farmers have to carry the bricks themselves because some sections are too rugged even for the mules.
"The paths are extremely narrow and covered by thorns and sometimes we use sickles to clear the way," said Chen.
He and fellow villagers will each be paid 50 yuan (7.35 U.S. dollars) a day by Chengde city culture heritage bureau.
In April, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage (SACH) and State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping jointly announced the length of the Great Wall dating from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) was 885.1 kilometers.
The Beijing section is 550 kilometers, including about 10 kilometers of a seriously damaged section at Badaling, where it has mostly collapsed or been covered by grass.
The SACH ordered complete restoration to its original appearance.
The Great Wall stretches east to west across north China through five provinces. Badaling boasts the best-preserved and most imposing section of the Wall, frequently portrayed in guide books and on postcards.
Source: Xinhua
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