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The Ministry of Culture
The State Administration of Cultural Heritage
The Ministry of Public Security
The Ministry of Land Resources
The Ministry of Construction
The State Administration of Environmental Protection
The State Administration of Tourism
Documents
Cultural Relics Development (2003) No.13
Notice
on Further Reinforcing the Conservation and Management of the Great
Wall
To the People¡¯s Governments
of provinces, autonomous regions, and directly-administrated municipalities
containing the Great Wall,
The Great Wall was first built during the Warring States Period
of the Spring and Autumn Period. It was renovated and repaired during
the reigns of many emperors between the Qin Dynasty and Ming Dynasty.
It traverses more than 10 provincial-level administrative regions,
including Liaoning, Beijing, Tianjin, Shandong, Inner Mongolia,
Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Ningxia, Gansu and others, and is considered
one of the greatest architecture works in the history of mankind.
It is not only an outstanding symbol of the traditional culture
of China, but also shows the national spirit of China, as well as
the diligence, perseverance, courage and peace-loving nature of
its people. In modern times it has become an important part of the
cultural heritage of mankind. The Great Wall now plays an even greater
role in such aspects as the patriotic education of the youth, exhibition
of China¡¯s traditional culture to the world and enhancement of local
social and economic development. However, apart from unrelenting
damage inflicted by natural forces for hundreds of years, Great
Wall has also faced damage in recent years inflicted by various
acts of man, such as infrastructure construction and excessive development.
No more time should be lost to take powerful measures to protect
the Great Wall.
In order to strongly implement the Law on Conservation and Management
of Great Wall, further strengthen the conservation and management
of the Great Wall, effectively conserve the Great Wall, and to regulate
the development and use of it, with the consent of the State Council,
we are delivering the following instructions:
1. The Great Wall is the nation¡¯s largest entity that requires conservation,
and it has been inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage. Protecting
it is the urgent responsibility and obligation of government organs
of all levels, as well as relevant other sectors and all citizens.
Governments of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities
containing Great Wall should fulfill the requirements of the Law
on Conservation and Management and seriously implement the guideline
of the cultural relics management --- mainly by conserving and saving,
properly using and enhancing management --- and include the conservation,
management and proper use of the Great Wall in their social and
economic plans and land plans. They must establish responsibility
systems for the conservation of the Great Wall and enhance the leadership
efforts in the conservation of the Great Wall. The responsibility
of conserving the Great Wall should be divided into segments and
propagated throughout various counties, to township governments
and village committees. Propaganda work should be enhanced and organs
should positively encourage society and individuals to be involved
in the conservation of the Great Wall.
2£®Governments of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities
containing Great Wall should study and implement the Law of Cultural
Relics Conservation of PRC to Great Wall, and set up management
systems for the conservation of the Great Wall.
Various localities should further specify the responsibilities of
cultural relics administration sectors and should not relinquish
the management right of the Great Wall to any enterprises or allow
enterprises to manage the Great Wall as enterprise capital. Those
who are already doing so should rectify the situation within certain
time limits..
3. Governments of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities
containing Great Wall should reinforce fundamental work, seriously
and firmly accomplish the conservation and management of the Great
Wall. People¡¯s Governments should specify the conservation areas
(buffer zones) and restricted construction control areas according
to the need of conservation of the Great Wall itself and its environment.
Clear conservation signage should be set up. Relevant government
organs can set up exclusive Great Wall management organizations
or employ people to take exclusive responsibility of conserving
and managing the Great Wall. The cultural relics conservation departments
of various governments should establish documentation records of
the Great Wall in their administrated regions and keep records in
a legal manner. Governments of all levels should organize professional
organizations to develop plans and specific local regulations for
the conservation of the Great Wall, so as to make the conservation
and management of the Great Wall legal, regulated and scientific.
At the same time, the cultural relics management sectors should
organize relevant research units to reinforce research work on the
Great Wall.
4. Governments of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities
containing Great Wall should address the relationship between conservation
and exploitation. In order to both ensure the protection of the
Great Wall and give sustainable play to it¡¯s role as a tourist attraction,
the relationship between conservation and exploitation of the Great
Wall should be treated in accordance with the law. The conservation
of the Great Wall is a pre-requisite of management and use. It is
absolutely prohibited to use the Great Wall excessively or destructively.
In places where the Great Wall has become a tourist site, the administrative
profits from the business should be employed for maintenance, management
and research on Great Wall, thuis making financial resources available
for the conservation work.
5. Governments of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities
containing Great Wall should reinforce their management, project
development, reconnaissance and control over maintenance projects
on the Great Wall. All construction activities within the conservation
area of the Great Wall (buffer zone) and restricted construction
control area should be examined carefully and legally. ¡°Protective¡±
and ¡°constructive¡± destructive incidents are definitely prohibited.
6. Governments of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities
containing Great Wall should use the relevant organs of government
to severely punish any criminal activities that damage the Great
Wall. Governments at all levels should guard against criminal activities
that destroy the Great Wall in the name of local social security
control and management, and prevent any such activities. Illegal
activities should be investigated and punished with priority, including
directly damaging the Great Wall itself, and carrying out construction
or exploitation and operation without legal permission in the conservation
area, which all seriously threaten the protected status and environment
of the Great Wall. Persons that are responsible for the damage to
the Great Wall should be investigated by relevant organs and face
criminal prosecution.
All provinces and regions should positively and properly implement
these duties and responsibilities. The responsible sector of cultural
relics conservation should take the initiative to meet relevant
sectors to report the conservation situation to the senior responsible
sector by the end of 2003.
April 16, 2003
Copied and Reported to: the State Council
Copied and forwarded to: People¡¯s Governments of relevant provinces,
autonomous regions and directly administered municipalities (containing
Great Wall).
Secretariat of the Office, State Administration of Cultural Heritage
Seals of the following sectors:
The Ministry of Culture
The State Administration of Cultural Heritage
The Ministry of Public Security
The Ministry of Land Resources
The Ministry of Construction
The State Administration of Environmental Protection
The State Administration of Tourism
April 16, 2003
First proofreading by Luo Li,
Final proofreading by Chai Xiaoming
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