Men trying to steal ‘lucky’ bricks from Great Wall of China get trapped on mountain

Pair aged 20 and 26 claimed they were using a plastic bag to collect litter

Snow covers the Jiankou Great Wall in the northwestern part of Beijing's Houairou district (Getty Images)

Two men had to be rescued from a cliff edge after they tried to steal “lucky bricks” from the Great Wall of China.

The pair, aged 20 and 26, called for help after getting lost on their way to a section the 13,000-mile-long structure north of Beijing.

Rescuers found them shivering on a snow-covered mountain four hours later, according to local media reports.

The men initially claimed they were carrying a plastic bag to pick up litter in the area.

However police discovered they had boasted in a local restaurant about stealing some of the bricks.

They believed the bricks would bring good luck when placed inside their homes, the South China Morning Post reported.

Police freed the men after warning them that taking the bricks was both illegal and dangerous.

The wall dates from 220 BC, when China joined existing walls and fortifications to defend against invasions from northern tribes.

China has passed legislation to protect the UNESCO World Heritage Site after large sections of it were bulldozed, pillaged for building materials or heavily restored.