Mission Statement and Policy Outline of The Society

Aware of the number of threats and their growing severity, William Lindesay was inspired to establish The Society in order to assist China's cultural-relics protection authorities address some of the problems in a more timely, efficient and professional way. This timing of The Society's establishment also coincided with the realization of the willingness that the relevant Chinese authority (Beijing Administrative Bureau for Cultural Relics) was ready to cooperate with an outside organization.

The Society's mission is inscribed as:

"To assist China's cultural relics authorities in the challenge of preserving the authenticity of the Great Wall of China."

The majority of The Society's work will be concerned with wilderness sections of the Great Wall (Wild Wall) in the Beijing Municipality. The Society believes there are enough sites for mass tourism, and that remaining sections of Great Wall (Wild Wall) need to be protected (managed) but not developed. Such a scheme of land use may be as yet unknown in China, however The Society believes that cultural landscapes of the Great Wall should be managed for a superior kind of pleasure and profit, for the perpetuation of the country's natural and cultural heritage, untarnished by invasion (encroachment of development) and depletion other than that inflicted by time.

The Society also stresses that an integral component of the Wall's authenticity is the building in its natural setting.

The Society's objectives will be achieved by providing and fostering the facilities and environment in which experts and professionals from a broad range of disciplines, as well as The Society's officers, can carry out field surveying, monitoring, documenting, management planning, support in the implementation of regulations, support in prosecuting violators of regulations, academic and field research, teaching, promotion and publicity, and piloting of field initiatives. The Society will harness international and domestic interest in the task of preserving the authenticity of the Great Wall by offering membership of The Society to individuals for their pro-active approach to the mission, to organizations and academic research institutes for their advice and moral support and to commercial organizations for their material, personnel and financial generosity.