Chinese saying states that "you will not become a hero if you do not mount the Great Wall." And for many years, people have realized their dreams of being heroes by climbing to the top of the magnificent structure.

But the days of freely climbing sections of the crumbling wall are set to end.

When the "Beijing Municipal Great Wall Protection and Management Regulations" are implemented on August 1 this year, the ambitions of people to walk the wild wall will be heavily restricted.

"Intrepid hikers or sightseers will not be permitted to explore those unprotected sections of the Great Wall around Beijing any longer. In addition, the building of any structure that poses aesthetic damage to the wall and its natural setting will be prohibited, according to the new regulations," said Sun Ling, director of the Policy making Department of Beijing Administrative Bureau of Cultural Relics.

Sun said the move is aimed at protecting the Great Wall, which has withstood cold winds and penetrating rain for thousands of years.

Beijing Municipality is home to 629 kilometres of the Great Wall. Most of the sections of the Wall have fallen into disrepair over the years except for a few world-famous scenic spots, such as Badaling, Juyongguan and Mutianyu.

Owing to a lack of sufficient funds, Beijing Municipal Government claims it has no choice but to renovate the wilder and more fragile stretches of the Great Wall step by step.

The rapid increase in visitors to these unprotected sections of the Great Wall has greatly damaged the Wall.

"The damage comes from two sides: visitors from the outside and farmers living in the vicinity of the Great Wall," Sun added.

In addition to carving their names on the ancient bricks, many hikers leave litter on the Great Wall.

Farmers living by the Great Wall have also set up a number of simple grocery stores providing services to tourists in order to make money. Moreover, villagers also pose a serious threat to the Wall with their herding activities, cultivation and need to gather firewood.

"All of them have made the Great Wall lose her historical interest. Some parts of the original structure now look like bustling markets," Sun added.

Xia Mei, a 22-year-old university student majoring in Chinese ancient architecture in Shanghai, said she loves history and naturally supports the municipal government's protective measures without reservation.

Xia added she is especially annoyed at the lack of awareness of the need to protect cultural relics.

Each summer, Xia visits Beijing for her summer vacation because of the capital's unrivalled history. And she would visit an unprotected section of the Great Wall near Huanghuacheng in Huairou District each time.

Different from the famous sections of the Great Wall under careful protection, this part is tucked away in the steep mountains and inspires genuine feelings of seclusion.

"But some people's misconduct disgusts me severely," Xia said.

Every year, she finds more bricks of the Great Wall disfigured by graffiti. She also saw people living in the vicinity of the Wall dismantling a half-dilapidated section and establishing temporary grocery stores there.

"Although I will not be allowed to pay a visit to the wild section of the Wall after August 1, I still feel happy because taking strict protective measures is the only way to keep the valuable ruins of the wall from complete destruction," Xia said.

Zhao Zhihai, a farmer in Huairou District's Shayu Village, echoed her view and hailed the implementation of the new protective measures.

Under the new regulations, all township governments along the Great Wall will organize local villagers to patrol sections in a bid to prevent instances of damage. Fines given to people who flout the rules range from 200 yuan (US$24) to 30,000 yuan (US$3,610).

"In the past, no full-time protective team existed so it was difficult to stop the misconduct. I hope the situation will improve after August 1," Zhao said.

But Park Soomin, a South Korean tourist who likes to hike along the wild sections of the Wall, felt a little disappointed with the new regulation.

Park said famous Great Wall passes such as Badaling, Juyongguan and Mutianyu were over-developed and had lost their historical interest.

"They are visited by too many sightseers every day and equipped with some advanced tourist facilities," Park said.

"The ancient military passes have lost their magic for visitors. So my friends and I like exploring the quieter parts of the Wall.

"I am afraid this demand has not been taken into account by the relevant government departments."

David Winning, a British journalist working in Beijing, said sections of the Great Wall such as Badaling were so over-developed that they left an impression of visiting Disneyland rather than a historic gem.

"History is about charm and ancient ruins should reflect their antiquity. They should not be rebuilt to look brand new," he said.

"Imagine if all the castles in Europe were rebuilt and polished. Would they still retain their ancient charm?"

But Sun said the Wall should be renovated on the principle of restoring it to its original look.

"The new regulations do not mean that no one will have a chance to mount the Great Wall's wild sections for ever," she said.

"Instead, as soon as dilapidated parts are repaired, they will be opened to the public.

"Moreover, I can guarantee that what visitors will be able to see will be nothing but the Wall's original look."

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