Workers smash Great Wall of China to create shortcut

Two people have been detained in China after allegedly damaging a section of the Great Wall with an excavator to create a shortcut.

Authorities in Youyu County said they received a report on August 24 that a gap in the wall was created in Yangqianhe Township, in the northern Shanxi province.

After an investigation, police found a 38-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman had used an excavator to breach the wall in order to create a shortcut to pass through.

The damage was found late last month in a section known as the 32nd Great Wall. (Youyu Public Security Bureau)

Two people have been arrested for allegedly tearing a giant hole through the Great Wall of China with an excavator. (Youyu Public Security Bureau)

The act caused “irreversible” damage to the integrity and safety of that portion of the wall, according to local media.

Police said the investigation was ongoing.

The area, known as the 32nd Great Wall, is one of the surviving complete walls and watch towers dated back to the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), and is listed as a provincial cultural relic site.

The Great Wall was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.