Village in E China builds 'Great Wall' to deter thieves

Residents of a village in eastern China have followed the ancient emperors and built a "Great Wall" around their increasingly well-off community to keep out thieves.

The wall around Aodi in Zhejiang province, seven metres (23 feet) high and nearly a metre thick, was even built in the style of the Great Wall, with a crenellated top and imposing iron gate, the China Daily reported.

But the old-fashioned security measure comes with a modern touch -- residents use a swipe card to enter late at night when the double-doored gate is locked.

The 270 villagers raised most of the 400,000 yuan ($75,000) cost of building the wall themselves, fed up with rising theft of items such as mobile phones, computers and cash, the report said.