The Great Wall faces an existential question: should crumbling sections be restored, or should they be preserved in their natural state of decay?

The Case for Restoration

Proponents of restoration argue that without intervention, sections like Jiankou and Gubeikou will eventually crumble to rubble. Restoration makes the wall accessible to ordinary visitors, not just skilled mountaineers. The Mutianyu restoration, completed in 1988, proved that careful reconstruction could preserve historical accuracy while adding modern safety features.

The Case for Preservation

Preservation advocates argue that restoration often destroys as much history as it saves. The 2016 “restoration” of a Liaoning province section — which resulted in the ancient brick wall being paved over with smooth concrete — became an international scandal. Critics argue that a restored wall is no longer the Great Wall — it is a replica.

The Simatai Compromise

Simatai represents a middle path. The eastern section was carefully restored using traditional techniques and materials, while the western section remains wild and unrestored. Visitors can experience both the wall as it was and the wall as it is — two faces of the same dragon.

Climate and Time

Ultimately, nature will have the final say. Freeze-thaw cycles, vegetation growth, and erosion are relentless enemies. Every year, sections of the wild wall collapse. The question is not whether the wall will change, but how — and who gets to decide.

“Bu dao Changcheng fei hao han” — “He who has not been to the Great Wall is not a true man.” This single sentence, written by Mao Zedong in 1935, transformed the cultural meaning of the Great Wall.

The Original Context

Mao wrote these words not as a tourism slogan, but as part of a poem commemorating the Long March — the 8,000-kilometer retreat of the Red Army through some of China’s most hostile terrain. The “Great Wall” in the poem was metaphorical: it represented the challenges that tested revolutionary resolve.

From Feudal Relic to National Symbol

Before the 20th century, the Great Wall was not a source of Chinese pride. Early Republic intellectuals like Lu Xun dismissed it as a monument to feudal tyranny and the suffering of conscripted laborers. It was Mao’s government that rehabilitated the wall as a symbol of Chinese resilience and national unity.

Badacling as Pilgrimage

In 1957, Badaling became the first section of the wall opened for tourism. The stone tablet bearing Mao’s quote was placed at the summit, transforming a casual visit into a patriotic pilgrimage. Today, the quote is inscribed on Great Wall souvenirs, postcards, and even the Chinese passport.