The Great Wall of China has joined the list of more than 100 global landmarks that will go green this weekend to celebrate St Patrick’s Day.

The installation of green lights on the wall for the first ever has been negotiated through the combined efforts of the Irish Embassy and the Tourism Ireland team in China, as well as the Foreign Affairs Office in China.

“The Great Wall of China is joining the biggest Global Greening to date, involving iconic sites in countries around the world, including Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro and the Great Pyramid of Giza,” said Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Eamon Gilmore. “It is, like all the best ideas, simple, inspiring and infectious. It is also, of course, the result of a lot of hard work behind the scenes by Tourism Ireland and our embassy network.

“The greenings are emblematic of the relationship that we have built with our diaspora communities and, increasingly, with countries around the world that take part in the Global Greening out of a spirit of friendship, respect, and partnership.”