raffy
Oct 10, 02, 12:30 pm
(10-10) 09:45 PDT BADALING, China (AP) --
The government confirmed Thursday that a tourist carrying a British passport was found slain near a popular section of the Great Wall, the apparent victim of an attack that could undermine China's reputation as a safe place for visitors.
British media identified the victim as Tom Dawson, 24, a graphic designer from London who was touring Asia, but his identity could not be immediately confirmed.
The tourist was assaulted near the Great Wall's well-traveled Badaling section, about 40 miles north of Beijing, according to an officer in the Yanqing Public Security Bureau who declined to give his name.
Violence against foreigners -- especially near a high-profile attraction like the Great Wall -- is rare in China, which places great value on its reputation as a safe place for tourists and its own citizens.
"There are police everywhere. Nothing like this has ever happened here," said Wu Cuixian, who has run a gaudy souvenir shop outside Badaling's main entrance for 10 years.
Added Ma Xiuxin, another shop owner: "No robberies, no violence, nothing."
Britain's Press Association and The Times of London both said Dawson was at the start of an eight-month tour of Asia. His throat was slashed and he suffered severe head wounds, the Times said.
The body was found Oct. 2, a day after China's National Day, the start of a weeklong holiday when millions of Chinese visit relatives and tourist attractions. That could make it far more difficult to track down the assailant.
Dawson told his family he intended to celebrate his birthday Sept. 29 on the Great Wall, the Times said. The newspaper said he set off alone.
Police using tracking dogs found Dawson's body in a ravine, the Times said. It said he was dressed in only a T-shirt and most of his belongings were gone. British consular staff identified his body from a photograph, according to the newspaper.
It was not clear exactly how far the victim was from populated areas when the attack took place. Aside from the wall itself, the rugged, mountainous area around Badaling has many remote nooks and little villages.
Though statistics are largely unavailable, violent crime across China appears to be on the upswing as upheaval from the country's economic openness and vast cultural change puts people out of jobs and on the move. That's bad news for China, where tourism is one of the top industries.
"If tourists were killed, it's really bad -- no matter if they're foreigners or Chinese," said Liu Aifu, a scholar at the Beijing Tourist Institute. "It's natural for people to worry about their safety if they know tourists were killed."
But on Thursday afternoon, a hazy fall day, the Badaling part of the wall was as crowded as ever, filled with Chinese and foreign tourists by the busload.
"Of course it's scary!" said Chen Yungjun, part of a tour group from northern China's Hebei province. "But there are so many people there, it doesn't seem like anything can happen."
Don Macmillan of Toronto, who first visited Badaling 15 years ago, said China's increasing openness brings with it a "natural evolution" -- including hazards.
"In the day I was here, no one would think of touching a tourist because of political repercussions," Macmillan said. "Once you open up doors to the commercial aspects, unfortunately, all facets of crime are also opened up."
The wall's modern sections around the Chinese capital date from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Some parts have been restored since the Communist Party took power in 1949, and several -- including the most popular, Badaling -- draw hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.
The government confirmed Thursday that a tourist carrying a British passport was found slain near a popular section of the Great Wall, the apparent victim of an attack that could undermine China's reputation as a safe place for visitors.
British media identified the victim as Tom Dawson, 24, a graphic designer from London who was touring Asia, but his identity could not be immediately confirmed.
The tourist was assaulted near the Great Wall's well-traveled Badaling section, about 40 miles north of Beijing, according to an officer in the Yanqing Public Security Bureau who declined to give his name.
Violence against foreigners -- especially near a high-profile attraction like the Great Wall -- is rare in China, which places great value on its reputation as a safe place for tourists and its own citizens.
"There are police everywhere. Nothing like this has ever happened here," said Wu Cuixian, who has run a gaudy souvenir shop outside Badaling's main entrance for 10 years.
Added Ma Xiuxin, another shop owner: "No robberies, no violence, nothing."
Britain's Press Association and The Times of London both said Dawson was at the start of an eight-month tour of Asia. His throat was slashed and he suffered severe head wounds, the Times said.
The body was found Oct. 2, a day after China's National Day, the start of a weeklong holiday when millions of Chinese visit relatives and tourist attractions. That could make it far more difficult to track down the assailant.
Dawson told his family he intended to celebrate his birthday Sept. 29 on the Great Wall, the Times said. The newspaper said he set off alone.
Police using tracking dogs found Dawson's body in a ravine, the Times said. It said he was dressed in only a T-shirt and most of his belongings were gone. British consular staff identified his body from a photograph, according to the newspaper.
It was not clear exactly how far the victim was from populated areas when the attack took place. Aside from the wall itself, the rugged, mountainous area around Badaling has many remote nooks and little villages.
Though statistics are largely unavailable, violent crime across China appears to be on the upswing as upheaval from the country's economic openness and vast cultural change puts people out of jobs and on the move. That's bad news for China, where tourism is one of the top industries.
"If tourists were killed, it's really bad -- no matter if they're foreigners or Chinese," said Liu Aifu, a scholar at the Beijing Tourist Institute. "It's natural for people to worry about their safety if they know tourists were killed."
But on Thursday afternoon, a hazy fall day, the Badaling part of the wall was as crowded as ever, filled with Chinese and foreign tourists by the busload.
"Of course it's scary!" said Chen Yungjun, part of a tour group from northern China's Hebei province. "But there are so many people there, it doesn't seem like anything can happen."
Don Macmillan of Toronto, who first visited Badaling 15 years ago, said China's increasing openness brings with it a "natural evolution" -- including hazards.
"In the day I was here, no one would think of touching a tourist because of political repercussions," Macmillan said. "Once you open up doors to the commercial aspects, unfortunately, all facets of crime are also opened up."
The wall's modern sections around the Chinese capital date from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Some parts have been restored since the Communist Party took power in 1949, and several -- including the most popular, Badaling -- draw hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.