Beijing, October 5(HS): A tourist couple in China has been detained and fined after carving their names and special symbols on the Great Wall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The incident, reminiscent of a growing global trend of inscribing names on public monuments, took place at the Simatai section of the iconic structure.

According to a report by Global Times, the Miyun Branch of Beijing’s Municipal Public Security Bureau confirmed in a Sunday statement that the two tourists were taken into custody and penalized for defacing the wall’s bricks. A local employee reported the incident to police on Friday, alleging that the visitors had engraved letters during their tour.

Following an on-site inspection and investigation, authorities arrested the two individuals — identified as Man (male, 26) and Liu (female, 21) — on Saturday morning.Investigations revealed that the couple began their visit around 2:00 p.m. on Friday and, at Liu’s suggestion, Man used stones to carve their names and shapes onto one of the towers of the Great Wall by 4:30 p.m.

The Miyun police imposed administrative punishment, including short-term detention and a fine.Police have urged tourists to respect cultural heritage protection laws, behave responsibly at historical sites, and refrain from any form of damage or tampering during visits to the Great Wall.

Notably, the Great Wall of China, built beginning in the 7th century BC to defend against Mongol invasions, extends over 21,000 kilometers across northern China.

Constructed from earth and stone, it features watchtowers, hidden gates, and tunnels, and remains one of the world’s most renowned and visited landmarks.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar