A Chinese tourist damaged a 3,000-year-old site in Luxor and publicly
shared the image on Chinese social media, which has since gone viral.
The tourist carved “Ding Jinhao was here,” while visiting Luxor in
Egypt. Chinese social media and newspapers were quick to condemn and
identify the offender, and the incident has attracted widespread
criticism in China with headlines such as “China’s Tourist Shame.”
It is not yet clear whether the markings can be removed in order to safely return the wall to its original state.
Despite this, the incident remains unreported on Egyptian media and
the man responsible was never identified or charged with any criminal
offence by Egyptian authorities. The Ministry of Antiquities has not
commented on the damage yet. According to a source contacted by Egyptian
Streets, the Ministry of Antiquities is currently investigating the
incident.
The incident highlights the lack of security and enforcement of rules
that are meant to protect and preserve Egypt’s historic sites.