Lightning rods protect Great Wall

Twelve lighting rods disguised as trees will stand on the sides of unopened sections of the Badaling Great Wall by the end of 2014, helping to protect the cultural site, the management authority of the section said.

The lightning rods, made to look like trees, to blend in with the surroundings, are up to 15 meters tall and stand 2 meters from the sides of southern unrestored sections of the Badaling Great Wall.

"Five others will be installed by the end of 2014 to protect the northern part," said Ding Haitao, the official in charge of the project of the management authority of Badaling Great Wall. The first seven have been protecting the wall since the end of 2013.