Authorities in China's Yuyu County said they received a report on Aug. 24 that a gap had been formed in the wall in Yangqianhe Township, Chinese media reported. Officials reportedly believe that heavy machinery was used to punch a hole in the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
A police investigation identified the individuals as a 38-year-old man surnamed Zheng and a 55-year-old woman surnamed Wang. It's reported the pair were construction workers assigned to a nearby site.
Police said the investigation was ongoing. Both detainees were charged with destroying a cultural relic, state media said.
The Shanxi Cultural Relics Bureau has said the actions of the arrestees had caused "irreversible" damage to the integrity and security to part of the Great Wall. It is claimed the damage has affected the structural integrity of this section of the Great Wall and it is "beyond repair," the state-run newspaper reported.
The Great Wall of China, which crosses 15 provinces of China and stretches for thousands of kilometers, is the best man-made monument in the Celestial Empire. Its construction continued throughout many dynasties.
Most sections of the Great Wall built before the Ming Dynasty are almost destroyed, and only the sections built during the Ming Dynasty remain in good condition.
MNA/PR
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