Carving characters on the Great Wall wall, administrative detention plus fine

Compiled from: Yanqing Police, The Paper
 
Recently, netizens reported that a tourist used a key to carve characters on the Badaling Great Wall wall.

 
 

Case review
Beijing Yanqing Police issued a Situation Report on March 23:

 
 

In response to public reports that "a tourist was carving characters on the Great Wall," the Yanqing police conducted an investigation and identified the offender, Meng (male, 35). He confessed to the illegal act of carving characters on the Great Wall wall while visiting the Badaling scenic area on March 21.
 
In accordance with the relevant provisions of the Public Security Administration Punishments Law of the People's Republic of China, Yanqing police imposed administrative detention and a fine on Meng.
 
Public Security Administration Punishments Law of the People's Republic of China
Article 63
Anyone who commits any of the following acts shall be given a warning or a fine of not more than 200 yuan; if the circumstances are relatively serious, he shall be detained for not less than 5 days but not more than 10 days, and shall also be fined not less than 200 yuan but not more than 500 yuan:
(1) Intentionally damaging cultural relics or places of historic interest protected by the state by carving, smearing, or other means; (2) Conducting blasting, excavation, or other activities near a cultural relic protection unit in violation of state regulations, endangering the safety of cultural relics.
 
[1] The author's perspective
This illegal act not only damages cultural relics and places of historic interest protected by the state but also disrupts the state's management order over cultural relics and places of historic interest. It is specifically manifested in acts such as carving, smearing, or otherwise intentionally damaging cultural relics and places of historic interest protected by the state, or conducting blasting, excavation, or other activities near a cultural relic protection unit, endangering the safety of cultural relics. It is noteworthy that liability shall be incurred as long as an illegal act exists, without requiring serious consequences.
 
Such uncivilized tourist behavior is not an isolated case. In earlier years, the “I was here” graffiti was also a common sight. Whether it is scribbling or littering, both are essentially acts of vandalism against tourist attractions. As tourists ourselves, protecting cultural relics and historic sites is not only a reflection of our own virtue but also a way to ensure that future generations can enjoy these landscapes. In fact, if we put ourselves in others’ shoes, had people in the past also caused such damage, we today would only be able to see a pile of unrecognizable remnants. Let us treat others as we would like to be treated, and take the initiative to protect cultural relics, starting with ourselves.