Beijing to build pilot Great Wall national park

[Photo: from VCG]

Officials and experts are now discussing building a pilot Great Wall national park and the protection of the Great Wall cultural belt.

At the 7th Capital Tourism Development Forum held in Beijing recently, officials from the tourism departments said that by building the pilot Great Wall national park, Beijing will further tap into its cultural and historical resources and focus on building a series of cultural tourism brands, such as Badaling, Mutianyu and Gubeikou Great Wall.

The Beijing section of the Great Wall ranges across six of its districts, with a total length of 629 kilometers. As of now, 67 kilometers of the wall is well preserved, while a total of 295 kilometers is still without adequate protection. The sections of Badaling, Juyongguan, Simatai, Mutianyu, Shuiguan and the southwestern extension of the Great Wall are open to the public.

The 2-kilometer-wide area along either sides of the 629-kilometer-long Great Wall will be the core area for protection and planning. Experts said they expected Beijing's plan on the pilot Great Wall national park would benefit ecological conservation, development of conservation area and urban-rural integration.

According to a blueprint for the city's overall planning (2016-2030), Beijing has its sight set on building the Great Wall cultural belt, the canal cultural belt, and the Xishan mountain cultural belt. 

The audio clip is from Studio+, produced by CRI.