Jottings from the Granite Studio

Speaking of walls, via AP:

BEIJING — A $258 million restoration project is planned for an ancient town where the Great Wall meets the sea, state media reported Thursday.

The project will transform Shanhaiguan, built in 1381 during the Ming Dynasty as a strategic military post to help defend Beijing, the Xinhua News Agency said.

“We will start eight projects on the main body of the ancient wall and the work will be completed by the end of this year,” Pan Jie, deputy head of Shanhaiguan district in Qinhuangdao city in Hebei province, was quoted as saying.

Xinhua said the district has already spent $93 million restoring watchtowers, gates and five memorial arches on the wall in Shanhaiguan.

China in recent years has begun restoring parts of the wall as well as trying to rein in commercial development on and around it.

Shanhaiguan has a special place in Qing history. It was at this pass that General Wu Sangui, charged with holding the position against the Manchus, made the fateful decision to allow the Manchus to cross over and assist Wu in retaking Beijing from the bandit/warlord Li Zicheng in 1644.

According to Great Wall historian, David Spindler, interviewed for the Insider’s Guide to Beijing, it is a common myth that Shanghaiguan was the easternmost terminus for the Great Wall. Actually, according to Spindler, the Wall during the Ming extended across Liaoning province all the way to the Yalu River. Shindler suggests that by the time Dorgon and the Manchus launched their “peacekeeping mission,” the Liaoning portion of the Wall had been under Qing control for so long that it’s possible the Chinese no longer thought of these sections as being under their control.

Let’s hope that the planned “restoration process” focuses more on developing the site to instruct and educate Chinese and non-Chinese alike about this fascinating historical landmark. At the very least, let’s hope they leave the loudspeakers with Kenny G and the tacky souvenir shops out of their plans.