Leadership Insights | Illustrated Lectures:Restoring the Shanhai Pass of the Great Wall: Empowering the Sustainability of Ancient Civilization in Contemporary Era

As a typical representative of traditional Chinese architectural techniques, the repair technique of the Shanhaiguan Great Wall was included in China’s national intangible cultural heritage list in 2006. At the eastern end of the Great Wallof the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the Shanhaiguan Great Wall integrates a pass, a garrisonarea, watchtowers, and beacon towers. Its repair follows the principle of “minimal intervention,” fully preserving the wisdom of ancient artisans that emphasizes “building defense works according to local natural conditions.”

The technique centers on traditional materials and methods. It uses localblack bricks, white lime, and glutinous rice-lime plaster, and employs ancient methods such as “dry laying” and “grouting” to repair walls. Artisans strictly follow the Ming Dynasty masonry standard of “five horizontallayers and one vertical layer” and use procedures like “surface polishing” and “marking and leveling” to ensure the repaired walls fit perfectly. For specific issues such as airslake and alkaline corrosion, a unique “partial chipping and patching” technique has been developed to preserve as much historical information as possible.

Artisans continue the technique through a “master-apprentice” inheritance approach, and they fully preserve the use of traditional tools such as construction rulers, trowels, and plumb bobs. In recent years, they have combined modern technology to carry out digital monitoring and material analysis, forming an innovative system that integrates traditional craftsmanship with modern techniques. This living inheritance approach not only protects tangible heritage but also perpetuates the principle of “restoring the old as the old,” providing avital model for the preservation of cultural heritage related to the Great Wall.

The repair technique of the Shanhaiguan Great Wall has achieved remarkable results over time. Alongwith technological advancements, the restoration and repair process has incorporated modern surveying and monitoring techniques, allowing for a more precise understanding of the Great Wall’s condition and extending its lifespan. Today, a group of professionalsproficient in this technique has been cultivated, ensuring its perpetual inheritance. The restored sections of the Great Wall have become vivid “history textbooks”that enhance public recognition of traditional culture.

The Great Wall is a representative symbol of the Chinese nation and an important symbol of the Chinese civilization. It carries the tenacious spirit of the Chinese nation and the determination, perseverance and patriotism of the Chinese people. It is our common responsibility to protect and pass on this historical and cultural heritage.

監製:蔚力

策劃:丁素雲

文案:楊俊康