Tourists who visit one of the world’s most famous attractions have been
leaving their mark quite literally by etching their names into the ancient
stone.
Foreign visitors are to blame for most of the scratchings, according to
Chinese news reports, with the No 5 Fighting Tower a popular spot for
comments scrawled in English.
But now a section of the wall in the popular area of Mutianyu, in the No 14
Fighting Tower building, has been selected for the graffiti zone, China Daily reported.
It quoted a director of the administration office at Mutianyu, which is 70km
north-east of Beijing, who said it was because “many tourists like to carve
words on buildings”.
The office said it had plans to set up two more areas where graffiti was permitted, in fighting towers No 5 and No 10 for tourists in the future.
Officials had previously conducted anti-graffiti patrols and by put warning signs up along the wall, but to no avail. Other parts of the wall that have been defaced will be restored.
The fad of tourists writing their names at historic attractions has sometimes been seen as a problem at other sites around the world.
At Juliet’s house, in the Italian city of Verona, it has been tradition for years for lovers to write their names on the walls of the courtyard. The practice was banned at the end of 2012 however, after authorities grew tired of what some suggested was an unsightly mess.
The office said it had plans to set up two more areas where graffiti was permitted, in fighting towers No 5 and No 10 for tourists in the future.
Officials had previously conducted anti-graffiti patrols and by put warning signs up along the wall, but to no avail. Other parts of the wall that have been defaced will be restored.
The fad of tourists writing their names at historic attractions has sometimes been seen as a problem at other sites around the world.
At Juliet’s house, in the Italian city of Verona, it has been tradition for years for lovers to write their names on the walls of the courtyard. The practice was banned at the end of 2012 however, after authorities grew tired of what some suggested was an unsightly mess.
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