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Airbnb,ashort-stayrentalplatform,hasrecentlyscrappeditscontroversialplantoofferpeopleachancetospendanightinaroomitwasgoingtobuildontheGreatWallinBeijing.Thosewhowereinterestedinapplyingwereaskedtosubmitanarticleonovercomingculturalbarriersandfourwinnersweretobeselected.Byplanningthe鈥淣ightattheGreatWall,鈥滱irbnbclaimedthat鈥渙neofthegoalswastohighlighthoweveryonecanplayaroleinhonoringandpreservingthisincrediblepieceofworldhistory.鈥漇inceitsplanwouldnotimposefixedconstructionontheGreatWall,itsaiditdidnotthinktheeventwouldcauseanydamagetothewall.
However,theplanencounteredastrongbacklashfromtheChinesepublic,whoareworriedaboutthepotentialdamagethatanovernightstaymaycausetotheancientfortification.YanqingDistrict鈥檚culturalheritageprotectionauthorities,whichmanagetheBadalingsectionoftheGreatWallwheretheroomwastobebuilt,hadreportedlyneverbeenconsultedontheovernightstayorapprovedtheevent.Accordingtoastatement,theauthoritiesdidnotsupporttheprojectasitwasnotinlinewithculturalheritageprotectionprinciples.
Thepublic鈥檚criticismofAirbnb鈥檚sleepoverplanfocusesonitspotentialdamagetothewall,especiallybecauseitisnotanordinaryculturalheritagesitebutahistoricallandmarkrepresentingChinesecivilization.However,thereisalsoavoicesupportingtheactivity,whichbelievesthatAirbnb鈥檚plancouldhelpfurtherspreadtheGreatWall鈥檚reputationacrosstheworld.
Strengtheningregulations
LiZhenzhong(www.rednet.cn):Somepeopleareaskingwhyshouldn鈥檛thesleepoverbeheldattheGreatWall,sincethiskindofservicewillhelptouristsenjoyfamily-likewarmth.However,basiclivingfacilitiesrelatedtohomestayservicesattheGreatWallwillcauseirreversibledamagetoit.Forexample,heatingdeviceswilldoharmtotheGreatWall鈥檚stonesandtiles.Ifsocietyisignorantoflawsandregulationssurroundingculturalrelicprotection,suchharmfulbehaviorsmaybeforgiven.However,asculturalrelicprotectionisincreasinglybecomingasocialconsensus,it鈥檚unacceptabletoseepracticessuchasthe鈥淣ightattheGreatWall鈥漚sromanticandfashionable.
Inordertobetterprotectthewall,thefollowingmeasuresshouldbetaken.Firstly,relevantlawsandregulationsshouldbestrengthenedsothatindividualsorenterprisesareforbiddenfromofferinghomestayservicesattheGreatWall.Secondly,relevantauthoritiesshouldnotjustmakeoralexplanationabouttheimportanceofprotectingculturalrelics,buttheyshouldalsotakejointactionstostopallkindsofillegalactivitiesthatcausedamagetoculturalrelics.Withoutspecificmeasuresorplans,itisimpossibletopreventillegalactionswhichcoulddestroytheGreatWall.
HeYonghai(XiaoxiangMorningPost):Airbnb鈥檚plantoprovideovernightstayservicesattheGreatWallhassparkedcontroversy.
Somethinkitiscreative.However,I鈥檓afraidthatthisactionmaydestroythishistoricalsite.Theorganizersclaimedthatnothingonthewallwouldbedamagedduringthewholeactivity.Ifso,howcantheybuildaroomforaccommodations?Accordingtoreports,abeacontowerattheGreatWallwastoberenovatedintoahousewithabigbed,lampsandatoilet.ThefactcontradictstheclaimthathomestayserviceswillbeprovidedwithoutinstallingfixedfacilitiesorruiningtheappearanceoftheGreatWall.
IntheRegulationsontheProtectionoftheGreatWall,theinstallationoffacilitiesandequipmentunrelatedtotheprotectionoftheGreatWallisprohibited.Theseguidelinesshouldbeobservedbyallorganizationsandindividuals.Remodelingabeacontowerintoahouseviolatestheseregulations.Ifanordinarytouristdaredtodosuchathing,thehousewouldbeimmediatelytorndown.
Businessesarealwaysdrivenbythepursuitoftheirowninterests.Byrecruitingpeopletowinahomestaytravel,Airbnbwastryingtohypeitsprogramandfurtheritsreputation.Thiskindofactivityshouldnotbeadvocated.
Airbnbrespondedbysayingthat鈥減rotectingculturalrelicsandheritageistheoriginalintentionofouractivities,鈥漚nd鈥渨ehopetoshowtheworldthearchitecturalandculturalcharmoftheGreatWallandatthesametimeprotecttheculturalheritageoftheGreatWall.鈥漈hewaytotangiblyprotectculturalrelicsistonotbotherthem.TheGreatWallisalreadywell-knownaroundtheworld,eitherforitsarchitecturalstyleoritscultureandhistory.HowmuchculturalcharmcantheintrusiveactivityofhomestayservicesaddtotheGreatWall?
XuZhongju(www.cnhubei):TheGreatWallisoneoftheculturalsymbolsoftheChinesenation.ItisevidenceofChina鈥檚thousandsofyearsofhistoricalchanges.Itembodiesthecommonmemoryofthenationandisatreasureofhumankind.Therefore,theGreatWallshouldneverbecomeatoolforanyenterpriseorindividualtomakeaprofit.Theso-calledhomestayserviceisblasphemyagainstChinesecultureandwilldodamagetothishistoricalheritagesite.
Theproposed鈥淣ightattheGreatWall鈥漞venthassetabadprecedent.Ifthistrendisnoteffectivelycurbed,morebusinessesareexpectedtofollowsuitandcausegreaterharmtoancientarchitectureacrossthecountry.Fivethousandyearsofhistoryhaveleftalotofvaluableculturaltreasuresandsomeofthemarebeingtakenadvantageofbybusinessestoimprovetheirprofits,reputationorboth.
Inrecentyears,asaresultofmushroomingself-promotionalmediaandshortvideoplatforms,homestayservicesrelatedtoorhypedbyInternetcelebritiesareridingthetide.HomestayserviceslikethisproposedAirbnbeventwillnothelpprotectChina鈥檚culturalrelicsbutinsteadwillbringhugedamagetothem.Allkindsofgarbagepro-ducedbytheconstructionofsuchlodgingsandaccommodationsisboundtocauseconsiderabledamagetoculturalrelics,whichisthelastthingwewanttosee.
Therearenumerouswaystoprotecttraditionalculture,explorethemeaningofitandexpandpeople鈥檚understandingofit.Activitiesformakingprofitsundertheguiseofprotectinghistoricalrelicsshouldbebanned.ThesleepoverattheGreatWallisinherentlyameanstomakeexorbitantprofits,ratherthananattempttoprotectculturalrelics.
LISHIGONG
Spreadingtheculture
DongYaohui(www.huanqiu):Whenprotectivemeasuresareinstalled,activitiessuchashomestayserviceswillnothurttheGreatWall,neitherthestructureitselfnorrelatedcultureandhistory.Scenicspotsarebuiltordesignedtobeexperiencedbytravelers.InthecaseofthehomestayserviceattheGreatWall,itfocusesontravelers鈥檈xperienceintheevening.TheGreatWalldoesnotgetdamagedbecausevisitorsstandonitlookingatthesun,sowhydopeoplethinkitwillgetdamagedjustbecausevisitorsstaythereappreciatingthestarsintheevening?TheGreatWallisseenasasymbolofChinesecivilization,butstilltravelersareallowedtowalkonitaslongastheypaytodoso.WeshouldnotrejectcommercialprogramsattheGreatWallwiththeexcuseofprotectinghistoricalandculturalheritage.
WehopethatmorepeoplewillgettoknowabouttheGreatWallandChineseculture.TheGreatWallwasamilitarydefenseproject,butnowadays,itismoreofasymbolofpeace.Ifprotectionistheonlypriority,notasingletravelershouldbeallowedontotheGreatWall.Thereshouldbenomovieshooting,noculturalorentertainmentactivitiesattheGreatWallatall.
Everyyear,theGreatWallreceivesmillionsofvisitors.Aslongasprecautionaryworkiswell-prepared,activitiesdesignedtospreadtheGreatWallcultureshouldbeadvocated.
CopyeditedbyRebecaToledo