Great Wall graffiti gets free hand

Visitors take in the sights at Mutianyu, a famous section of the Great Wall. A special area of the wall has been established for graffiti to better protect the heritage site after media reported that many foreign tourists had carved words on the old buildings. Photo by Chen Yehua / Xinhua

Area in famous section set aside so tourists can leave their mark.

Mutianyu, a famous section of the Great Wall, now has a designated area for graffiti to better protect it after media reported that many foreign tourists left their words on the old buildings.

Mutianyu, one of the best-preserved parts of the Great Wall, is located in Huairou district, 70 km northeast of central Beijing.

This section of the Great Wall has frequently been the target of graffiti in English and other languages, according to a statement from the district's publicity department on Sunday.

In fact, more foreign languages appear than Chinese, a report published by Beijing Evening News said on Friday. The No 5 Fighting Tower building is a popular spot for leaving graffiti, with most of it in English, the report said.

For many foreign tourists, Mutianyu is their first choice for seeing the Great Wall in Beijing.

As a key national cultural relics site, Mutianyu attracts many tourists every year, with 40 percent from foreign countries, according to the publicity department.

For years, the administration office of Mutianyu had arranged routine patrol teams to discourage tourists from graffiti writing. Anti-graffiti placards were also added.