City Wall in Xi'an city, Shaanxi Province (Photo via official website of Xi'an City Wall)
The past and present of the city walls
There are at least 6,000 ancient Chinese cities which used to have city walls, but only 10 still have relatively intact walls, according to He Yun'ao. Though the existing city walls are fragile, he added.
Weather and erosion have led to the damage of the city walls, but the primary causes for deterioration are the rapid development of modern cities and the lack of awareness for protecting these walls.
"In the past, there are always people who want to tear them down, and replace them with a more modern building, or to remove them to pave a road. Many have not realized that they are priceless relics," said He.
"By making the walls a World Heritage Site, we hope that the remaining city walls could be well preserved," said He Yun'ao.
