Great Wall conservation enters new stage of systematic protection

Great Wall conservation is moving from "rescuing individual sites" toward "systematic protection and comprehensive governance" as China begins its 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30), an expert said at a major forum on Great Wall preservation in Beijing.

Zhang Guanghan, deputy chief planner of the China Academy of Urban Planning and Design, made the remarks at the main forum of the eighth Badaling Great Wall Cultural Forum, held on Sunday in Yanqing district. The annual forum brings together scholars and heritage professionals to discuss Great Wall conservation, cultural heritage interpretation, and sustainable use. This year, it adopted "Protection, Integration and Continuity" as its permanent theme.

Speaking on the systematic protection of Great Wall cultural heritage during the next five years, Zhang said the shift requires considering the heritage as a broader system encompassing military settlements, beacon and postal networks, military farming, and historical trade. Rather than applying a single approach across different sections of the monument, conservation strategies should vary according to construction materials, location, and preservation conditions.

"Minimal intervention should be the standard," Zhang said, adding that some sections may require restoration, while others may only need reinforcement or measures to slow deterioration. Archaeological research is also needed to understand the historical remains better before decisions are made on conservation and public access.

The shift toward more systematic conservation is reflected in Beijing's latest legislation. The Great Wall Protection Regulation, which took effect on March 1, places the wall itself, related cultural heritage, and its surrounding environment under integrated protection. It also calls for differentiated conservation measures, minimal intervention, and coordinated protection with neighboring Tianjin and Hebei province, according to the Beijing Cultural Heritage Bureau.

Zhang said systematic conservation should advance on three fronts simultaneously: protecting the Great Wall and its historical setting, safeguarding related heritage, and strengthening coordination across regions.

The third aspect is particularly important because the ancient fortification stretches across multiple administrative areas where conservation capacity and expertise can vary, he said in an interview after the forum. "There needs to be greater coordination so that conservation follows consistent scientific principles."

Efforts to strengthen such cooperation are also emerging elsewhere along the Great Wall. Shanxi, where 1,401.23 kilometers of its remains are located, introduced regulations in July that include mechanisms for interprovincial coordination.

Zhang stressed that systematic conservation is a long-term endeavor that cannot be completed within a single five-year period, adding, "The Great Wall is so long and immense that it needs to be protected generation after generation."