Part of Beijing's famous Drum Tower, a historical site that serves as a reference point for ancient times, is being destroyed bit by bit.

Less than 30 complete tiles remain on the top of the 70-metre-long wall, on the west side of the tower. It means 90 per cent of the tiles have been removed.

A resident who has lived near the Drum Tower for decades says he usually sees strangers grabbing pieces of tile when passing by.

"The wall is only 2 meters high, so it's easy for most people to reach," the elderly man, who would only identify himself as Guo, said.

A source from the Drum Tower Cultural Heritage Administration told China Daily yesterday: "A bus stop is located near the wall, so there is a big flow of people and traffic every day, so it becomes an easy target for vandals."

He said related authorities were considering relocating the bus stop.

Zhu Yingli, also from the administration, said some people were ignorant, not knowing they were destroying the appearance of a cultural relic.

"All of the tiles were produced in the 1980s, when it was all being fixed up," Zhu said.

"They are not worth collecting at all, but when that happens the appearance of the historical site deteriorates."

Experts believe people's interest in ancient-looking items may be stirred by the booming cultural relics market.

"Both prices and profits of cultural relics have grown exponentially in recent years," said Yao Yujiang, an official with the Beijing Municipal Administration for Cultural Heritage.

Realizing the value of cultural heritage pieces, some people will attempt to better protect them, while others will want to profit from them.

During the 2000-02 period, 330 million yuan (US$40 million) was budgeted for heritage protection purposes.

The Drum Tower was initially built in 1272, during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), and underwent repairs on three occasions during the Yuan and Ming (1368-1644) dynasties.

(China Daily February 3, 2005)