Ming Dynasty Great Wall in Ningwu county damaged by illegal mining Photo: thepaper.cn

Four people have been placed under criminal coercive measures on suspicion of illegal mining and damaging cultural relics, and the company involved has been ordered to suspend production for rectification, after reports that illegal mining had severely damaged sections of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) Great Wall in Ningwu county, North China's Shanxi Province, local authorities said in a statement.

Recently, some media outlets reported on issues related to Shenda Chaokai Coal Industry. A special working group had already been set up at an early stage to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the relevant situation. Based on the preliminary findings, the enterprise involved has been ordered, in accordance with the law, to suspend production for rectification, according to a statement released by authorities of Ningwu county on late Wednesday.

After further evidence is secured and supplemented, the case will be transferred to the procuratorial authorities for review and prosecution in accordance with procedures, read the statement.

Recent reports that sections of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall in Ningwu county had suffered long-term damage from an open-pit coal mine have sparked widespread public concern. The Ming Dynasty Great Wall in Ningwu is listed as a provincial-level protected cultural relic site.

The company's alleged long-term cross-boundary mining, illegal dumping of waste residue, and unauthorized excavation of transport roads have caused multiple sections of the wall to collapse or be cut through, inflicting irreversible damage on the cultural relic itself, according to thepaper.cn.

Public records show that Ningwu county is home to about 39 kilometers of surviving Ming Dynasty Great Wall, mostly built with rammed earth, making it an important part of the Ming-era defense system in northern Shanxi. Clearly marked protection rules designate 10 meters on both sides of the wall as a protected area, with a further 200 meters set aside as a construction control zone. Protection boundary markers and cultural relic protection signs have also been installed along the route, according to thepaper.cn.

Yet around the mining area of Shenda Chaokai Coal Industry, the Great Wall ruins have been left scarred and broken, with more than 100 meters reportedly collapsing and several sections suffering permanent damage, per thepaper.cn.

In response to problems uncovered during the investigation, including the failure of regulatory departments to properly perform their duties, discipline inspection and supervision authorities are investigating relevant personnel and will deal with them strictly in accordance with regulations, discipline and law, the Ningwu authorities said in the statement.

It will also carry out a thorough investigation in accordance with laws and regulations to ensure that the issues involving Shenda Chaokai Coal Industry are fully clarified, penalties are imposed, and rectification measures are implemented, read the statement.

Global Times