Two tourists have been punished for carving names into the stone at the Great Wall of China.

The two Chinese visitors, surnamed Zhao and Nie, were visiting the Jinshanling section of the Great Wall in Luanping County in the Chinese province of Hebei on 17th June.

According to reports, Nie scrawled the date and her parents’ names into the wall with a rock while her male companion helped to reinforce the carving with the keys he had on him.

Security staff at the Great Wall discovered the graffiti the next day and the police were called to track down the culprits and punish them.

Local media said Nie was fined CNY 200 (GBP 22.3) while Zhao was detained for 10 days and fined CNY 500 (GBP 55.7) for his part in the incident.

A spokesperson for the Jinshanling Great Wall scenic spot said on Thursday that they felt the punishments were too lenient as the damage to the stone is irreversible.

According to current regulations, the punishments were decided by the local police force.

The spokesperson added that they will launch improved marketing campaigns to educate the public and protect the Great Wall from future acts of vandalism.