The restoration of a 2,455-meter-long damaged stretch of the Great Wall in Badaling on the outskirts of Beijing will start in June as part of preparations for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

The restoration work will use materials such as bricks which have fallen from the wall in order to preserve the original style, said Zhang Min, an official with the Badaling special zone administration office.

The project will not use modern building materials or equipment, according to Zhang. If new building materials are needed, they will be produced in line with ancient craft methods under the supervision of cultural heritage authorities.

The stretch, which does not open to tourists, is located north of the Badaling section of the Great Wall, a famous scenic spot 75kilometers northwest of downtown Beijing.

It has suffered from natural erosion and damage from wild animal dwellings and construction work.

"Nearly one third of the stretch has collapsed," said Zhang, adding that it was in danger of disappearing if no measures were taken.

Last March, workers began repairing a 1,245-meter-long stretch in the southern Badaling section. Restoration of this section, which is not open to tourists either, will be finished at the end of July.

Zhang said the two stretches will not be opened to visitors when restoration work is completed, but the Games' bicycle races pass nearby.

Currently, a 3.7-km-long Badaling section of the Great Wall is open to visitors.

The government of Yanqing county where the Badaling Great Wall is located, launched a 600-million-yuan project in March to upgrade the facilities and improve the environment of the scenic spot.

The project includes the removal of all business stalls on the wall, the construction of a 7.3-km-long highway and large parking areas.

The principal remaining sections of the 6,700-km-long Great Wall were rebuilt in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. The Great Wall was listed by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage site in 1987.

(Xinhua News Agency March 31, 2007)