Project leaders behind a "wall of love" at the foot of the Great Wall in Beijing have been ordered to halt operations.

The project, which has been running for nine days, is a violation of cultural heritage protection regulations, said Hao Dongchen, an official from the Beijing Municipal Administration of Cultural Heritage.

On Valentine's Day, the management office of Juyongguan one major pass of the Great Wall erected the 88.5-metre-wide and 7.5-metre-high "Great Wall of Love" near the Badaling section in Beijing's Changping District.

Couples can pay 999 yuan (US$123) to carve love oaths into marble stones in the wall.

Juyongguan Pass is located in Changping, more than 50 kilometers from the city. It is one of the three great passes of the Great Wall, along with Jiayuguan and Shanhaiguan.

With 9,999 stones available, the wall could help the office earn 9.9 million yuan (US$1.2 million). Four couples have so far purchased and written inscriptions on stones.

However, it has attracted criticism from some quarters.

Some people said it was aimed at simply making money from the world heritage site.

Beijing Municipal Administration of Cultural Heritage carried out an inspection of the project and subsequently ordered its suspension, reported the Beijing News yesterday.

At the same time, Changping District government has ordered to close the office in charge of the project.

Meanwhile, Chu Ran, who is head of office of the project, said he did not yet know what further measures would have to be taken after suspension of the project, reported the Beijing News.

The Great Wall receives more than 4 million visitors each year.

Earlier this month, it was revealed that a dedicated team was being set up to check against damage of the mammoth structure.

The unit will focus on the 630 kilometre-long section in Beijing.

It is the first time that the Great Wall in Beijing has had a special team to guard its ancient facade, of which only less than 20 per cent has been well preserved.

It follows growing concern over the impact of tourism on the structure.

Almost every brick at Badaling has been carved with people's names and graffiti.

Other sections, which are called "wild wall" and are not open to the public, also suffer from man-made damage. Neighbourhood villagers often put up iron ladders illegally to lure hikers to step up to it.

Apart from the patrol team, a detailed layout of a buffer zone will be drawn up this year for the Wall, which will take up to three years to complete, to better protect it.

There are also plans to draw up an overall report this year, including the history, current condition and future protection plans of the Wall.

Besides the proposals to protect Great Wall, dozens of other heritage sites in the capital will be repaired this year.

(China Daily February 24, 2006)