On June 10, 2010, we got a fax from Simatai Great Wall Administration to the effect that Simatai Great Wall is going to be closed since June 17, 2010 for the local government is going to rebuild Simatai Scenic Area and the opening date is unknown.
We were all shocked at the disappointing news. We got the notice only 7 days in advance of its closure. The short notice sounds like a joke but apparently not! Simatai Great Wall is a world cultural heritage, an asset of the whole mankind. It is a public property which is owned by the state, not a private one, owned by a individual person or unit. Its closure should be disclosed well in advance, half year or at least 3 months.
As far as I know, many travel agencies have signed contracts with their oversea counterparts confirming the Simatai Great Wall hiking this years. The closure puts all travel agencies in an awkward situation, eating their words before their clients!
So what is the fact behind the sudden closure? The answer is definite: short-term benefits
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