The most well-preserved troop platform on the Great Wall is being renovated, authorities in Qinghuangdao, east China's Hebei Province, said Thursday.
The renovation of the platform, located in the village of Jiumenkou on the border of Hebei and Liaoning provinces, is scheduled to be completed by the end of October, according to Zhang Chao from the local cultural protection authority.
It is about 20 meters high and covers more than 200 square meters.
"The platform is an important part of the Great Wall," said Dong Yaohui, executive vice president of the Great Wall Society of China.
He said that Jiumenkou was a crucial pass in the resistance against the Mongolian army during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Around 270 officials and soldiers were stationed there at the time, practicing martial arts and defense formations, which was why the platform was built.
The State Administration of Cultural Heritage has earmarked 3.21 million yuan (about 470,700 U.S. dollars) for the renovations. Workers will use the traditional techniques and materials including rivets, stonework and a paste made of glutinous rice and sand.
The platform also has a more than 300-year-old tree, and Zhang told Xinhua that they have consulted arborists about its protection.
