The Year of the Rooster Review

Heritage sites show preservation progress

Hoh Xil nature reserve and Gulangyu Island were listed as world heritage sites.

We interviewed a cultural heritage expert from Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, who commented:

It should be emphasized that UNESCO's announcement is a new beginning rather than the end for the preservation of the sites, as the local governments and managements, as well as residents have to take stricter measures for their protection. If the local authorities, especially tourism and cultural departments, and local enterprises want to continue capitalizing on the sites' popularity, they have to implement global standards to ensure the flow of tourists does not cause any damage to them.

Besides, the two managements have to be much more transparent about their protection methods, as media outlets will now keep a closer eye on them. Therefore, the inclusion of the two sites on the World Heritage list is only the first step of a giant project.