Excavator used to damage section of Great Wall, two people detained

Two people have been detained in China for damaging a section of the Great Wall with an excavator.

The Shanxi Cultural Relics Bureau said in a social media post on Monday that a man surnamed Zheng and a woman surnamed Wang used the excavator to widen a gap on a section of the No 32 Great Wall in Youyu county in late August. The wall, which dates back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), was damaged beyond repair.

The police in Youyu found the damage after receiving a report on Aug 24 and followed a trail leading into neighboring Horinger county, where they located the two suspects.

The two people, who were contracted to work on a construction project nearby, admitted to using the excavator to make it easier for them to pass through the wall. They have been charged with destroying a cultural relic.

The Great Wall is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of China's most iconic landmarks.