It was originally built to defend an empire, but now parts of the Great Wall of China are crumbling so badly they need someone to leap to their defense.
Many visitors to China associate the Great Wall with an extensively restored stretch of Ming era wall at Badaling near Beijing, but this is far from typical of most of the structure.
According to a 2014 survey done by the Great Wall of China Society, only about 8.2% of the Great Wall is in good condition, with 74.1% classified as poorly preserved.
“The Great Wall is a vast heritage site — over 20,000 kilometers — hence increasing the difficulty in preservation and restoration,” says Dong Yaohui, deputy director of the Great Wall of China Society.