The Badaling Great Wall management authority announced on Monday that two tourists from Shanghai have been administratively detained for five days and fined 200 yuan ($28) each after defacing the historic South Sixth Watchtower during a visit.
The graffiti was discovered during routine inspections, prompting authorities to alert the Yanqing District police. Investigation efforts revealed the offenders as Zhang and Sun, who had already departed for Shanghai. Through cross-jurisdictional cooperation between Yanqing and Shanghai police, both individuals were apprehended and penalized under China’s cultural heritage protection laws.
The authority emphasized the importance of responsible tourism, urging visitors to preserve cultural relics and respect national heritage. “Protecting the Great Wall is a shared responsibility,” the statement concluded.
Opened in 1958, Badaling is the most visited segment of the Great Wall, attracting millions annually. Earlier this year, another tourist was similarly punished last August after carving her name near the wall, later identified and detained at Beijing’s Summer Palace, local media reported.
