Great Wall viral video vandal identified

Screenshot from an online video shows a man vandalizing the Great Wall. [Photo/Screenshot from online video]

A man who vandalized the Great Wall has been identified and located after a video showing his actions went viral online, Beijing Youth Daily reported on Thursday.

In the video, the man pulled a stone from the wall before kicking off another, making noises imitating those heard in martial arts movies.

Another man, who was recording the video, can be heard to say "it was not easy for Qin Shi Huang (259-210 BC) to build the Great Wall, but you are destroying it" while laughing.

According to media reports, the part of wall the men were standing on in Huailai county, Hebei province, was actually constructed during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

Police in Huailai said on their official Sina Weibo account on Tuesday that they had begun investigating the case, and urged netizens to share the video of the man's actions so that he might be caught sooner.

"We hope the suspect surrenders himself to the police as soon as possible," said the police in a statement, adding that there was a reward for anyone who had any information that led to the man's arrest.

According to China's criminal law, anyone who damages historical buildings could face up to five years in jail and be fined.

The report said the case is still under investigation.