Many are shocked by a report in a Chinese newspaper that nearly one third of the Great Wall has disappeared due to natural erosion, destruction by humans and a lack of protection.

According to the report by Beijing Times, only around 8 percent of the Great Wall built in Ming dynasty is well-preserved. Human destruction, illegal trade or the practice of stealing bricks from the Great Wall have threatened the conservation of the heritage.

In Lulong county, north China’s Hebei province, some special bricks that have caved Chinese characters on the Great Wall are sold by local villagers at a low price of 30 yuan (around 5 dollars) per piece, according to the report.

The report has triggered debates. As to whether it is necessary to protect the whole Great Wall, some believe that local governments along the Great Wall do not have enough money and manpower to protect scores of kilometers or even hundreds of kilometers of the Great Wall, therefore, protecting parts of the heritage is reasonable. But Vice Chairman of the China Great Wall Society Dong Yaohui has a different view. He believes that the whole Great Wall should be preserved because the grandness of the Great Wall makes the architecture a breathtaking world cultural heritage.

“It’s a pity such a great heritage was damaged and we should never allow such heritage to be ruined in our hands,” says a follower of the official Weibo account of People’s Daily. “It’s necessary to strengthen the conservation of Great Wall,” another follower says.