Anyone who's visited the Great Wall of China remembers the structure as awe-inspiring. But there are parts of the structure that few ordinary visitors have seen and would imagine exist. Reports show the majority of the UNESCO world heritage is in dire condition. Originally built to defend an empire, the Great Wall now needs someone to leap to its defense.

This is the China's Great Wall.And so is this. The iconic structure is becoming less great. Nature has taken its toll and so have humans, for souvenirs and building materials.

Outside of a handful of heavily visited sections, there's the so called wild wall, underdeveloped, unprotected, and the vast majority of the great wall. And it's in these areas that the structure is vanishing. Climb up here and you can see there's nothing standing between these bricks and anyone who wants to take them. These bricks are hundreds of years old. And they can be found being sold in black markets for as low as 30 yuan, or 5 US dollars.

72-year-old Mei Jingtian grew up in the Shixia section of the ancient fortification, just outside of Beijing. Every week, for three decades, this self-appointed guardian has patrolled a 15-kilometer stretch.

Most of the existing wall was built during the Ming Dynasty between the 14th and 17th Centuries.

A recent report shows nearly a third of the Ming walls have disappeared. Just over 8 percent are classified as in good condition.

Regulations were established nearly a decade ago for the wall's protection.

But few resources are devoted to preservation... and many of the four hundred counties the Great Wall runs through are impoverished.

Dong Yaohui of the China Great Wall Society says more needs to be done.

"China's Great Wall is great for two reasons - one is its long history, the other is its long geographical span. Our ancestors created this wonder for us, and we only pass on to future generations a handful of sections? That's not right!" Dong said.

Dong says local villagers should be recruited, people like Mei, who wish to see the Great Wall stay great for generations to come.