The Great Wall is one of China’s best-known landmarks. And for the villagers of Aodi in Zhejiang province, the structure has also proved an inspiration. A relatively affluent community of 70 households, Aodi became concerned by a rise in burglaries, reports the Guangzhou Daily. So the villagers decided to build their own wall – modelled on the Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi’s ancient structure. More than 500 metres long, it uses 70,000 green adobe bricks, similar to those in its more famed peer at about 70cm thick. Entry to the village is now through a 7 metre high gate, which closes at 10pm; after that, villagers can only enter with a swipe card. Since the perimeter wall’s completion a month ago there have been no thefts, says village head Ruan Guolin. The wall cost Rmb500,000 to construct, with residents contributing 70% of the funds and the local government the remainder.
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