Retiree rams home the need to protect ancient earthwork

Since her retirement, come rain or shine, 57-year-old Yuan Jianqin has spent most of her time on excursions along, and making records of, the Datong section of the Great Wall.

Yuan says that her passion in protecting the Great Wall stems from her childhood. Although she was born in Datong, Shanxi province, her family moved to Nankou town in Beijing, which lies close to the Juyong Pass of the Great Wall.

"My school used to organize excursions every Friday. I remember we would climb the Badaling section while chanting the famous line 'one who fails to reach the Great Wall is not a hero'," she recalls.

That early life experience planted a seed in her mind, which continued to sprout as she grew up, returned to Datong and began to work at a local TV station.

"I have always loved outdoor activities, often going hiking. When I visited the Datong section of the Great Wall, I was attracted by its rammed earth structure. Later on, the more I learned about its history, the more I loved it," Yuan says.

"I was also pained to see people's misunderstanding of it, and the damage it sustained. I felt a sense of duty to protect and promote this section, so that more people will know about it."

According to Yuan, the Datong section is the best example among parts of the Great Wall that employ a rammed earth structure. Unlike the more commonly known masonry structure of the epic monument, this section was built using compacted loess, its color merging with the mountains.

The construction of this section started during the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220) and continued until the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).With a length of 493 kilometers, it covers different types of terrain, including mountains and flatlands.

Because Datong used to be an important town in the Ming Dynasty's military defense, the section features a comprehensive system of fortification structures, including beacon towers, passes and fortresses.

Yuan first started organizing outdoor activities with the TV station's camera crew, acting as a tour guide while they trekked along the ancient structure, explaining its history and significance, taking photos and videos, as well as constantly searching for a new angle from which to report it.

For nearly a decade, in her spare time, she hosted events promoting the protection of the Great Wall, which, after retiring in 2020, became her full-time vocation. In the same year, under the encouragement of Dong Yaohui, vice-chairman of the China Great Wall Association, she founded the Datong Great Wall Cultural and Tourism Association.

"After the Great Wall entered my sight, it never disappeared. Its preservation is an important issue. Most parts of the Great Wall in Datong were built by rammed earth, and the year-round wind erosion has caused it to fall into partial ruin. Without enhanced protection and promotion, the Great Wall will gradually disappear," Yuan says.

Since its founding, the association has published books, shot a publicity video, opened up an exhibition hall and collaborated with the municipal government in developing policies, as well as hosting a range of events centered on the Great Wall's history and culture.

Zhang Zhongqiu, counselor of the association, says that external sponsorship is limited and, as such, Yuan has drawn more than 100,000 yuan ($13,970) from her own savings to maintain the organization's operation.

Zhang met Yuan more than 10 years ago at a "plogging" event — jogging while picking up trash — along the Datong section.

Since then, he has worked with Yuan to host similar outdoor events centered on the protection of the Great Wall, and when Yuan decided to establish the association, he was among the first to join.

"Most of us are participating on a part-time basis, doing what we can when we've got the time, but Yuan has fully devoted herself to the cause. Those who are familiar with her often joke that she is married to the Great Wall," Zhang says.

"As long as the weather permits, she will be wandering along the Great Wall every day. Especially after the establishment of the association, she has been going to the site whenever she can, leaving home at dawn and returning after nightfall. We can always see her posting photos in our group chat."

On her early field trips, she noticed sheep tracks on the remaining sections of the Great Wall as shepherds kept their flock on the structure.

However, she believed that people living and working in proximity to the structure can be an effective force in protection.

"With my years of experience in protecting the Great Wall, I know that the people who lack a basic understanding of heritage preservation are not doing the damage deliberately. They simply do not understand its importance," Yuan says.

By speaking to the locals on her excursions, she has persuaded 52 shepherds, cowherds and farmers to join the preservation cause.

These members are now volunteers of the association, who are going about their business without doing any damage, but instead keeping an eye on the Great Wall and preventing tourists from climbing onto the structure.

"It's all about attitude. I will speak to them over and over again, in a calm manner, about the history, stories and current situation of the Great Wall. My advantage is that I have sincerity and more than enough patience to do so."

Sun Ruisheng contributed to this story.