Two people were arrested for using an excavator to dig a hole in the Great Wall of China, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Tuesday.
Police in Shanxi Province (northeast) are investigating the device the two suspects used to drill a hole in the wall, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.
During interrogation, according to CCTV, they admitted that they wanted to create a shortcut and shorten the duration of their journey.
The state broadcaster reported that the two suspects caused “irreversible damage” to the Wall, a remnant of military fortifications built by Chinese emperors to deter foreign invaders.