BEIJING, April 17 (Xinhua) -- China's National Cultural Heritage Administration has vowed to strengthen protection of the Great Wall, which has a total length of more than 21,000 km.

The protection and restoration work should ensure that the Great Wall relics remain where they originally existed and maintain their original look, said Song Xinchao, deputy head of the administration, at a press event on the Great Wall protection and restoration Tuesday.

Noting the importance of both routine maintenance in general and urgent repair of some endangered sites on the Great Wall, Song said his administration would urge local authorities to check and find sites in need of repair and improve their protection work.

"Some key sites suitable for visits can be opened to the public on a moderate scale," Song said.

The Great Wall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, consists of many interconnected walls, some of which date back 2,000 years.

There are currently more than 43,000 sites on the Great Wall, including wall sections, trench sections and fortresses, which are scattered in 15 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions, including Beijing, Hebei and Gansu.

In January, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the National Cultural Heritage Administration jointly released a comprehensive conservation plan to establish a long-term mechanism for the conservation and utilization of the Great Wall.