“I think the wall is in very, very grave danger,” fears William Lindesay, leader of the International Friends of the Great Wall. “But making Chinese people believe this is going to be difficult.” At a village near Beijing, farmers have effectively taken over the wall, erecting tollbooths and charging visitors for entry. Crass overdevelopments are smothering many parts and litter is apparent everywhere: it takes just one hour to collect 30 kg of rubbish. Lindesay hopes his group will be able to rectify the situation before it’s too late.

Produced by ABC Australia.