Great Wall plan to protect giant relic

Authorities said "excessive restoration" of the Great Wall will be avoided in the future to help preserve its historical integrity.

Song Xinchao, deputy director of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, was replying to a question from China Daily at a news conference in Beijing on Thursday.

Thirteen years in the making, the national-level Great Wall comprehensive conservation plan was released by the administration and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism on Tuesday. It will be used to guide restoration, management of public access and academic research until 2035.