The Great Wall stretches thousands of kilometres and is recognised globally as a cultural and historic landmark, with the oldest sections of the structure dating as far back as 300 BC.
The damage occurred in a section of the wall which rests in the northern region of the province of Shanxi, and was constructed during the Ming Dynasty, between the 14th and 17th centuries.
Shanxi police were alerted to the incident and followed machinery tracks which led through the wall and to the suspects, reported the China Daily newspaper.
The pair, a 38-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman, had been contracted to work on a nearby construction project and confessed to using the excavator to dig a shortcut through the wall, reducing travel time to the worksite.
They used the excavator to widen an existing cavity in the wall until it was large enough for the machinery to travel through, flattening a portion of the UNESCO world heritage site.
In recent years, the Chinese government has stepped up its efforts to preserve the landmark.
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV showed the aftermath of the incident, where a wide, dusty road cuts through a section of wall which was described as “relatively intact” and of significant research value.
“Currently, the two suspects have been criminally detained in accordance with the law, and the case is continuing to be investigated,” said CCTV.
