Wednesday, April 20 2005 15:16 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Beijing: The Beijing municipal Government will spend $ 1.45 million to repair parts of the Great Wall, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the State media reported on today (Apr 20, 2005).

It has commenced the second phase of a project to repair a 12.4 km section of the Great Wall in a suburban area. Located 29 km northwest of the Chengguan Town of Huairou district.

The Huanghuacheng section of the Great Wall was first built during the Northern Qi Dynasty (550-577). The existing part was built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

"Some parts of this wall section are suffering great damage due to both natural and artificial reasons. The major purpose of the renovation project is to recover the wall's original appearance and to ensure the safety of visitors," Xinhua news agency quoted an official with the city cultural heritage bureau as saying.

At a cost of 12 million Yuan ($ 1.45 million), the project will involve rebuilding of 13 towers, two gates, 3,300 meters of wall and other facilities on a four-km stretch of the Huanghuacheng section.

The repairs are scheduled to be carried out in three phases. "The first phase was completed last October and the second phase is expected to end before October this year (2005)," the official said.