Part of the Great Wall of China collapsed due to earthquake

A two-meter section of the Great Wall of China in the northwest of China
collapsed as a result of an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9, the Global
Times reported.

On January 8, a strong earthquake hit Menyuan Hui Autonomous County, Qinghai
Province. Th authorities organized an inspection of the state of cultural
heritage sites in the region affected by seismic activity. Inspectors
discovered a collapsed section of the Great Wall of China in Shandan County in
neighboring Gansu province. The collapse occurred 114 km from the epicenter of
the earthquake.

The collapsed part of the wall was built during the Ming Dynasty (1368 -
1644). The restorers have already erected a protective structure in this area
and have begun restoration work.

The Great Wall of China is a series of defensive structures in northern China
and southern Mongolia. Such walls in China have been erected since ancient
times to protect against the raids of nomads. It is believed that the first
Chinese emperor Qin Shi Huang (259 - 210 BC) united them into a single
fortification system. The longest and best-preserved part of the wall was
built during the Ming era (1368-1644). It stretches for about 8,850 km from
the northeastern Liaoning province to the northwestern Gansu province.