Vandalism done in the name of preservation

According to The New York Times (“Many Chinese Aghast Over ‘Botched’ Repair to Great Wall”, by Chris Buckley and Adam Wu, September 22, 2015), two years after a 1.2 mile section of the Great Wall of China in Suizhong County, Liaoning Province was repaired by covering it over with a white substance that is either cement or a mixture of lime and sand—depending on who one speaks to—photos were published in a local newspaper and the work brought to light. Officials of the China Great Wall Society were upset by this work which abandoned the principle of minimum interference, but cultural preservation officials responsible for that part of the wall defended the action saying that the section was in danger of falling down and that the work was done as an emergency repair. The loss of features such as crenelations,carvings,and the colors and textures of old brick is an aesthetic tragedy that has been called “vandalism done in the name of preservation”.