WATCH: Workers Put Their Lives at Risk to Repair the Great Wall

By Justine Lopez, July 6, 2017

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A video taken on June 12 shows just how dangerous it is to repair the Great Wall. Workers are currently restoring the Jiankou section of the Wall, which also happens to be one of the more wild and rugged portions of the iconic structure. But as the video shows, these repairmen are risking their lives for their work.

Watch below (VPN on):


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Because these stretches of the Great Wall are so steep and remote, workers often have to dangle from vertigo-inducing heights or scale the sides of the Wall with nothing more than a rope tied around their waist. Many times, the other end of the rope is held by other workers. It is unlikely that anyone would be able to survive a fall.

In the video, which was shot by Live China, one man describes what it’s like to conduct repairs on the Great Wall.  

"The work is mainly bricking. If you’re timid then you can’t do it, but I’m brave…it’s very dangerous," he said. "It’s very dangerous. It’s windy underneath."

201707/great-wall-workers-risk-lives-1.jpgPerilous working conditions aside, the repairmen must have great physical endurance to get the job done. The trail to the repair site is so steep that donkeys and mules are used to carry heavy supplies and tools up the path. A single brick can weigh as much as 300 pounds. The exhausting journey (one way) can take as long as 40 minutes.

The Jiankou section of the Wall dates back to the 17th century during the Ming Dynasty. Similar efforts to repair and restore other areas of the Great Wall have been going on since 2005.

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