China renovates key platform of Great Wall

China will spend USD 470,000 for renovating a major troop platform from the Ming Dynasty on the Great Wall, authorities said today.
The renovation of the platform, located in the village of Jiumenkou on the border of Hebei and Liaoning provinces, is scheduled to be completed by the end of October, Zhang Chao from the local cultural protection authority said.
It is about 20 metres high and covers more than 200 square meters.
"The platform is an important part of the Great Wall," Dong Yaohui, executive vice president of the Great Wall Society of China, was quoted as saying by the state-run Xinhua news agency.

He said that Jiumenkou was a crucial pass in the resistance against the Mongolian army during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Around 270 officials and soldiers were stationed there at the time, practicing martial arts and defence formations, which was why the platform was built.
The State Administration of Cultural Heritage has earmarked 3.21 million yuan (about USD 470,000) for the renovations. Workers will use the traditional techniques and materials including rivets, stonework and a paste made of glutinous rice and sand.

The platform also has a more than 300-year-old tree, Zhang was quoted in the report.
Built from the third century BC to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the Great Wall stretches over 21,000 kms.

Over four million tourists visit the Great Wall every year.