---
title: "Workers Detained for Plowing Construction Equipment Through Great Wall of China"
description: "In China, two people were detained for damaging a section of the Great Wall of China, which is hundreds of years old."
date: "2023-09-07"
modified: "2023-09-07"
authors:
  - name: "Sharon Adarlo"
    job_title: "Correspondent"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/sadarlo"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/workers-construction-equipment-great-wall-of-china"
categories:
  - "Future Society"
tags:
  - "china"
  - "great wall of china"
  - "the digest"
  - "unesco"
---

# Workers Detained for Plowing Construction Equipment Through Great Wall of China

![In China, two people were detained for damaging a section of the Great Wall of China, which is hundreds of years old.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/workers-construction-equipment-great-wall-of-china.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: Youyu County Public Security Bureau\</em\>*

## Blasting Through

The Great Wall of China has acted as a formidable bulwark against [fearsome Mongolians on horseback](<https://www.discovermagazine.com/uncategorized/did-the-great-wall-of-china-actually-keep-invaders-out>) and other nomadic tribes throughout its [storied 3,000-year-old history](<https://www.britannica.com/topic/Great-Wall-of-China>).

But it was no match for two bumbling construction workers who punched a hole into the wall wide enough to drive an excavator through, [according to *The New York Times*](<https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/05/world/asia/great-wall-china-excavator-damage.html?partner=slack&smid=sl-share>). The part of the wall that was damaged dates back to the [Ming Dynasty, which spanned from 1368 to 1644](<https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ming-dynasty-Chinese-history>).

The incident came to light on August 24*,* when someone notified local security about the huge hole in the wall, located in Yangqianhe, a township in Youyu County, roughly 5.5 hours from Beijing.

Local authorities detained two people allegedly responsible for the destruction, according to the report, a 55-year-old woman and a 38-year-old man from the [Chinese autonomous region of Inner Mongolia](<https://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/inner-mongolia-another-tibet-or-xinjiang>).

[*China Daily*](<https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202309/04/WS64f5a6aca310d2dce4bb3d00.html>), a government-controlled media outlet, reported that the reckless duo has "been charged with destroying a cultural relic." They were apparently trying to widen an existing opening to create a shortcut for the excavator in the [UNESCO World Heritage Site](<https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/438>) — and unfortunately succeeded.

## Hole in the Wall

Security officials found the two, who were working on a construction site nearby, after they had followed a "trail" to the neighboring Horinger County leading to the culprits, according to *China Daily*. The pair reportedly fessed up to the crime after being apprehended.

Though the Great Wall has withstood the test of time, this incident is part of a long line of vandalism throughout its history, according to the *NYT*. In fact, [just this June](<https://finance.sina.cn/2023-06-14/detail-imyxhcth7051698.d.html?sinawapsharesource=newsapp&wm=3200_0001>), locals nabbed a man carving letters into a section of the wall with a key.

In 2021, [*CNN* reported](<https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/china-tourists-great-wall-intl-hnk/index.html>) that two tourists were banned from the Great Wall for walking into a forbidden section of the structure.

While China [has committed itself](<https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/the-great-wall-of-china-is-under-siege-825452/>) to preserving the remaining parts of the Great Wall, many of which have become overrun by tourists, the situation looks dire. According to a [2019 investigation](<https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/2019-12/09/5459721/files/683a92ff615c44788c5ccc378931d2c9.pdf>), a whopping 18.4 percent of the Wall is considered poorly preserved. Just over 24 percent has disappeared over the ages.

In short, wandering bulldozers are only the tip of the iceberg.

**More on border walls:** [*China Is Building a Huge New Wall to Allegedly Keep COVID Out*](<https://futurism.com/china-huge-wall-covid>)