Britain's Hadrian's Wall, China's Great Wall to work together in unique heritage partnership

Glenn said: "The Wall to Wall Collaboration is the perfect example of how heritage can be used to strengthen international partnerships, grow tourism and build a truly global Britain. Today I am setting out how we will continue to make the case for heritage, and showcase the benefits it brings to our economy, our communities and our quality of life."

Historic England and the Chinese Academy of Cultural Heritage, which manages the Great Wall, will sign the agreement on Thursday. They will hold a seminar in Newcastle next year, the first step in a wider program of collaboration between the two sites.

Duncan Wilson, CEO of Historic England, said: "I also look forward to a fruitful collaboration between Historic England and the Chinese Academy of Cultural Heritage with the signing of the Wall to Wall agreement."

Hadrian's Wall was built as a defensive fortification in the Roman province of Britannia, with work starting in AD 122 in the reign of the emperor Hadrian. It remains a major tourist attraction along the border area between England and Scotland.

The UK heritage sector, which employs 278,000 people, contributed $1.32 billion to the British economy last year, a rise of seven percent on 2015.

While, the Great Wall, a symbol of China, is actually not just one wall, but many interconnected walls built between the third century B.C. and the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Sections of earlier fortifications were joined together to form a united defense system against invasions from the north. It was listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987.