Two ancient wonders open a new dialogue

For generations of Chinese students, Machu Picchu in Peru may have first appeared not on a travel itinerary, but in an English textbook.

Chinese English-language textbooks are filled with photographs of landmarks from around the world. In recent years, a trend has emerged on Chinese social media: travelers take their old textbooks with them on trips.

At Machu Picchu, some Chinese visitors have held up their textbooks for photos with the ruins, then shared them online for others to continue the photo relay.

An ancient site that once seemed distant and unfamiliar has found an unexpected way to connect with a younger generation thousands of miles away. That connection is now taking a more formal shape.

On Sunday, Beijing's Yanqing District Great Wall Administration and the Machu Picchu District Government signed a memorandum of friendly cooperation at the 2026 Badaling Great Wall Cultural Forum in Yanqing.

The agreement aims to promote cooperation between the two sites in areas including heritage management, tourism and cultural heritage conservation.

The Badaling section of the Great Wall in Yanqing is among the best-preserved and most representative sections of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) Great Wall. The Great Wall was designated a national key cultural relic protection site in 1961 and inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1987.

Machu Picchu, perched high in the Peruvian Andes, was built in the 15th century and is regarded as one of the most significant surviving legacies of the Inca civilization. It was abandoned in the 16th century following the Spanish conquest and was brought to wider international attention in 1911.

For Carlos Vazquez, Peru's ambassador to China, the Great Wall is among the places Peruvian visitors to China most want to see. Machu Picchu, he says, is similarly a "gem in the crown" of Peru.

The memorandum, he adds, could deepen exchanges between the two sites while encouraging visitors to explore other cultural and tourist destinations in both countries.

Despite the vast distance between them, Jose Gabriel Aguilar, an official in charge of cultural affairs at the embassy of Peru in China, sees striking similarities between the two landmarks.

"Both are located in spectacular landscapes, and both represent ancient civilizations," Aguilar says. "But if you don't understand their history, you cannot fully understand either of these sites."

The agreement, he says, also offers an example of how international cooperation can help protect cultural heritage that belongs to humanity as a whole.

Wei Jian, a professor at Inner Mongolia University and a longtime researcher of China's northern frontier, says there is nothing unusual about bringing the Great Wall and Machu Picchu together for discussion.

"Comparing cultural heritage from different regions and historical periods can offer a broader perspective on how civilizations developed and interacted," Wei notes.

The discussion extended beyond the forum itself. A photography exhibition titled From the Great Wall to Machu Picchu also opened alongside the event, presenting the landscapes and cultural legacies of the two World Heritage sites side by side.

This year marks the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Peru. Peru has organized a series of cultural events in China, including exhibitions on Peruvian civilizations in Beijing and Shanghai.

Vazquez says Peru is actively promoting cultural exchanges with China, noting that the exhibition in Shanghai will run until November next year and give more Chinese visitors a chance to learn about Peru's ancient civilizations.

Young people, in particular, remain interested, he says, citing feedback from visitors to the exhibition.