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.

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In 121 BC, Han Dynasty emperor Liu Che sent General Huo Qubing to the western region of the Yellow River to fight Xiongnu nomads in the north. In today's Hexi Corridor, which runs through Wuwei, Zhangye, Jiuquan and Dunhuang, Huo won several battles. To protect the frontier, the emperor ordered a military defense system built.

For millennia, the Hexi Corridor served as a crucial gateway from the Central Plains to the western regions. Shandan county is located in the middle section of the corridor, with the Longshou Mountains to the north connecting to the Juyan Ancient Road, and the Qilian Mountains to the south intersecting with the Tang-Tubo Ancient Road that ran from Chang'an (today's Xi'an in Shaanxi province) to Lhasa (in today's Xizang autonomous region).

It was a location that had to be passed, both on the Silk Road as well as on today's Eurasian Land Bridge, and was known as the "narrow waist of the corridor" and the "throat of Ganzhou (today's Zhangye) and Liangzhou (today's Wuwei)".

The Shandan Great Wall was created by building a tight defense system of pavilions, trenches, beacon towers and setting up passes, and it became a crucial component of the defense system in the Hexi Corridor. In 111 BC, Shandan county was founded as an important customs fortress along the Silk Road.

During the Ming Dynasty, it was also a crucial part of the defense system of the Ming Great Wall. According to Xu Huijun, researcher at the China Academy of Cultural Heritage, the constant reinforcement and improvement to castles, beacon towers and bastions since 1537 created the best-preserved Great Wall made of rammed earth visible in Shandan today.

The Shandan Great Wall is known for its variety of architecture and complete defense system, including walls, fortresses, moats and beacon towers. Construction materials are diverse, primarily rammed earth, adobe, and brick and stone masonry, with some structures employing a mix of earth and stone, or incorporating reeds.

"The construction methods fully embody the principle of adapting to local conditions and using local materials," Xu says.

The Shandan Great Wall not only embodies the overall architectural characteristics of the Great Wall but also displays distinct local features, and so is representative of the earthen defensive walls of Gansu and the rest of the country, she adds.

Spanning loess gullies, mountains, and deserts, the Shandan Great Wall provides valuable physical evidence for studying the history, geography, politics, economy, military affairs and culture of the northwestern region, she says.

In 2006, the Han and Ming walls were designated a national key cultural relic protection unit, and the county was chosen as a pilot area for Great Wall conservation efforts. In 2020, the Shandan section of the Ming Great Wall was included in the initial list of significant Great Wall sections by the National Cultural Heritage Administration.

In recent years, with the advancement of the Great Wall National Cultural Park project, the Shandan Great Wall has received better systematic protection and restoration, and has also been integrated with tourism and cultural heritage to become a cultural scenic area.

Since the launch of the national project in 2021, the Shandan Great Wall has been incorporated into the park sections within the province. The northwestern province is home to 3,654 km of Great Wall, placing it the second in the country in terms of remains. The Shandan section will be the demonstration section of "the throat of Ganzhou and Liangzhou "scenic route.

"Since the release of national and provincial plans for the Great Wall National Cultural Park, we have swiftly implemented several key projects. We got 20 million yuan ($2.76 million) from the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) for cultural heritage, and have focused on the area from Xiakou to Xinheyi," says Ge Qin, head of Shandan county's culture, sports, radio, film and tourism bureau.

"We have completed essential infrastructure, including a Great Wall protection and exhibition service center, patrol trails, and guide signage. Additionally, we have worked hard on projects for the Wall's restoration, and digital exhibitions," he says.

Now the Han and Ming Great Wall Museum has been set up as an initial cultural tourism system centered on the Great Wall scenic area, supported by cultural and museum venues.

"With support from national and provincial funding, we have undertaken projects such as the Great Wall cultural corridor and digital preservation," Ge says. "These efforts have strengthened physical protection and promoted the integration of culture and tourism."

Shandan has also introduced several tourist routes that combine the Great Wall with historical villages and equine culture. It has also hosted events to release information about the Wall and promote the development of its tourism industry.

The plan for tourism around the Shandan Great Wall focuses on enhancing restoration and protection efforts.

Meanwhile, the county aims to create new cultural tourism experiences by combining the Wall with other elements, introducing options such as "Great Wall plus outdoor leisure".

"These initiatives are expected to boost tourism and stimulate economic growth," Ge says.

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In addition, Great Wall-themed activities like educational tours, folk tourism and art events will be developed to enhance visitor engagement. Projects including the Han and Ming Great Wall scenic areas will integrate cultural and tourism resources, increasing the Shandan Great Wall's regional influence. Infrastructure improvements will enhance the visitor experience.

"We will also use big data and virtual reality to create digital experiences, building an online Great Wall for cultural dissemination," Ge says.

The protection and use of the Shandan Great Wall will not only enrich China's cultural heritage but also provide the world with more opportunities to understand Chinese history, Xu says.

Contact the writers at yangyangs@chinadaily.com.cn