The Guangwu section of the Great Wall in Shanyin county [Photo/Shanxi Daily]

The Information Office of Shanxi Provincial Government held a press conference on June 9 to interpret Shanxi province's plan to build and protect the Great Wall National Cultural Park (Shanxi Section).

The Shanxi sections of the Great Wall are distributed throughout eight cities in the province. They were built and used over the course of eight dynasties and extend 1,410.06 kilometers. The number of sections ranks third in China, while the total length ranks fifth in the country.

The plan was officially issued and implemented on May 20 and the planning period is divided into three stages: the key construction period (2021-23), the comprehensive construction period (2024-30), and the overall improvement period (2031-35). 

Shanxi has so far determined the overall spatial layout of the Great Wall National Cultural Park (Shanxi Section), clarified the four main functional divisions of the park, and proposed five major projects on the Great Wall's protection and cultural research, the improvement of supporting facilities, and cultural and tourism integration and digital reproduction.  

This year, Shanxi will implement a census plan on cultural and tourism resources along the Great Wall to learn about basic resources and better grasp the current development and utilization situation. 

The province will create literary and artistic works and high-quality book series themed around the Great Wall and carry out research on the wall. 

It will also further deepen research and formulate a special plan for the Great Wall National Cultural Park (Shanxi Section). 

The construction of a batch of Great Wall National Cultural Park benchmark projects will be accelerated as well, and a special Great Wall Culture exhibition will be carried out to promote Great Wall Culture. 

Shanxi will also implement projects to optimize and improve the quality of Great Wall-themed tourist attractions and develop cultural performances, hot spring services, skiing services, health care and sports products related to the Great Wall.