As one of China's most iconic landmarks, the Great Wall is unanimously considered to be in need of preservation. The city walls in Beijing haven't enjoyed similar protection in the past, and the discovery of a section of an ancient gate in Tongzhou district, built during the Ming (1386-1644) and Qing (1644-1912) dynasties, has yet to lead to a permanent solution. 

The circumstances of the discovery are both obvious and ironic. Subway construction revealed this old section of wall to the world again. Just like the walls removed in the 1960s to build the Second Ring Road and Line 2 of the subway, this section of wall in Tongzhou is getting in the way of infrastructure. 

Obviously, one is supposed to be full of angst, fretfully wringing hands at the thought of this piece of history potentially vanishing. It could also be argued that the original wall is in itself essentially nothing more than old infrastructure.

Perhaps in tens of thousands of years, future archaeologists may unearth a section of the long lost subway network in that very spot. People many years from now might end up arguing whether or not they should delay construction of a Stargate system to other galaxies or alternate dimensions to protect this historic relic.

The fate of the site is still unclear and there have even been calls for it to be removed and then put back after the subway line construction is complete, although it's difficult to see how this could be done without losing some of its authenticity. It's unclear what locals think, although certain members of the public have been interested in the site, managing to locate at least 20 ancient coins with the aid of their trusty metal detectors.

Another proposed solution is to move the subway station to the west, although one would imagine that this would cause some delays. It would be easy for me to get up on my high horse and pontificate on the necessity of history taking precedence, safe in the knowledge that the section of Line 6 that will run by my home is almost complete.

However, I have spent some time in that area and watched as it's been transformed and developed. How many people have planned their future based on the scheduled opening of the subway? How many young couples are waiting for the infrastructure to improve to allow them easier access to the city before they move into their new homes? How many landlords have budgeted based on an assumed spike in property prices?

In much the same way the treasure hunters found the ancient coins, perhaps such issues could be avoided in the future by utilizing the latest technology to map and excavate these historical sites long before the construction workers and heavy equipment turn up to carve out the land. Surely one of the best ways to protect the past is to look to the future.