The long watch along the Great Wall

TIANJIN, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- In early spring, winter still lingers in the mountains of northern Tianjin. Wind moves steadily along the ridgelines of the city's Jizhou District, where the Great Wall runs in a long, weathered line across the peaks.

Near noon, Lu Xueyan begins his climb.

The 60-year-old sets out from Qian'ganjian Village, his home village, heading toward the section of the Great Wall he has patrolled for nearly a decade. With the Spring Festival arriving, he feels the need to make another round.

"As the Chinese New Year comes, I want to come up and take a look," he said. The Great Wall, he added, is always on his mind.

Lu is a native of Xiaying Township in Jizhou District. Since 2016, he has served as a Great Wall protector, part of a nationwide system created to strengthen daily conservation of the ancient structure. When Tianjin formed its local team that year, he signed up immediately and became one of its first members.

In Tianjin, the Great Wall is represented by the Huangyaguan section, which lies entirely within Jizhou District and extends 40.28 kilometers. Apart from a restored stretch open to visitors, about 36 kilometers remain unrestored and under routine protection.

Lu is responsible for nearly 10 kilometers along the mountainous border between Tianjin and neighboring Hebei Province. He patrols once a week. A full inspection takes about six hours.

He walks the ridgeline, checking whether the wall's foundation remains stable and whether surrounding rock faces show signs of potential hazards. As the wall rises and dips with the terrain, remnants of watchtowers, ramparts and beacon towers come into view. Lu knows which structures once served defensive purposes and which sections were later additions. He remembers where minor collapses have occurred and where foundations feel less secure.

At key points, he crouches to examine the masonry, taking photographs and recording locations on his mobile phone. The routine is deliberate and consistent.

Over the years, thousands of such images have recorded the details of bulging walls and loosened foundations. Lu archives and reports what he finds, often becoming one of the earliest to flag potential risks along his stretch.

In the autumn of 2025, when repairs were carried out along part of his stretch, experts relied in part on what he had collected. Sections that had shown early signs of instability were reinforced, with efforts made to preserve the wall's original form.

Lu walked the route with the expert team along the section he had been responsible for. Years of routine patrols had quietly become part of the project's foundation.

The terrain is steep and uneven. In winter, the mountains are bare, with loose stones scattered across them. Since becoming a protector, Lu has worn through more than 10 pairs of rubber shoes.

The Great Wall was built over more than two millennia, from the Spring and Autumn Period (770 B.C.-476 B.C.) to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Today, surviving sections total more than 21,000 kilometers. In 1987, it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In recent years, preservation efforts have expanded. Since 2015, China has approved 289 conservation and restoration projects for the Great Wall, allocating 1.06 billion yuan (about 152.7 million U.S. dollars) in special funds. In February 2016, the National Cultural Heritage Administration issued measures formalizing the management of Great Wall protectors. Across the country, more than 6,800 such protectors now conduct regular patrols, strengthening what is often described as the "last mile" of protection.

For Lu, the connection to the Great Wall began long before he became a protector. As a child, he had no proper road to school and often walked along the wall to attend classes. The ancient stones formed part of his daily route. Over time, the structure became a constant presence in his life.

After taking on his current role, he began studying the wall more systematically -- its history, its architectural structure, and its conservation requirements -- hoping to help preserve it in its original form.

By late afternoon, the light softens. Lu pauses beside a beacon tower ruin and takes a sip of water. In the villages below, lanterns are being hung for the holiday. The days before and after the Spring Festival are a sensitive period: visitor numbers increase, the weather is dry, and the risk of fire rises.

"The busier the holiday, the more vigilant I must be," he said.

The work is demanding, but Lu sees it as a responsibility. He is, after all, a villager at the foot of the wall.

"My greatest wish is that during the years I am responsible for this section, it can remain as it is, free from human damage," he said. "As long as I am physically able, I will keep guarding it."

As dusk approaches, he checks one final stretch before turning back down the mountain. Below, village lights begin to glow for the holiday. The wall stretches along the ridge behind him, unchanged, as it has for centuries. ■