The picture taken on Nov. 5, 2005 shows workers repair the southern gate of Pingyao,...

The picture taken on Nov. 5, 2005 shows workers repair the southern gate of Pingyao, an ancient city in north China's Shanxi Province. With a length of 6.2 kilometers and an average width of 5 meters, the city wall of Pingyao was first built during the Zhou Dynasty (c.11th century- 256 B.C.) and expanded in 1370. Its body is rammed with earth and strengthened with a covering of bricks. The ancient city of Pingyao, including its city wall, is under national protection and was listed as the world cultural heritage by the the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in 1997. Owing to years of denudation by rain, some sections of the city wall have been damaged and repair is underway.