From protection to patrimony

Han and Ming Great Wall protection leads to creation of national cultural park in Northwest China, Yang Yang and Ma Jingna report in Zhangye, Gansu.

In the bleak, endless expanse of the Gobi Desert in Shandan county, Zhangye, Gansu province, the ancient remains of two parallel Great Walls extend.

They were built at different times — one dates back to the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220) and the other to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Both run east-west, separated by a distance of between 10 and 80 meters, but they are completely different in look and structure.

The 94-kilometer stretch of the Han Great Wall is composed of trenches, rivers and beacon towers, while the 271-km stretch of the Ming Great Wall consists of rammed earth walls, mounds and barriers.