A ceremony was held Monday afternoon in Beijing's Great Hall of
the People to confer World Heritage Certificates on four Chinese
sites listed on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage List. The China
National Commission of UNESCO, the Ministry of Construction and the
State Administration of Cultural Relics cosponsored the
ceremony.
The four sites honored were the Three
Parallel Rivers in southwest China's Yunnan Province; the Yungang
Grottoes in Datong, north China's Shanxi Province, and the Ming
Tombs (Shisanling) of Beijing and Xiaoling Tombs of Nanjing.
The Yungang Grottoes were placed on the World Heritage List at the
25th Session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in December
2001. The Three Parallel Rivers, Ming Tombs and Xiaoling Tombs were
inducted at the 27th Session in July 2003, with the Three Parallel
Rivers listed as a natural heritage site and the tombs as cultural
heritage sites.
China has 29 UNESCO-recognized natural and cultural heritage
sites, ranking third in the world. The nation ratified the UNESCO
Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and
Natural Heritages in 1985.
At the ceremony, UNESCO Beijing Office Vice Representative
Genevieve Domenach-Chich affirmed China's achievements in
protecting its natural and cultural heritage, while pointing out
the problems that remain to be solved in their administration. On
behalf of UNESCO she praised China for its contribution to the
protection of the world's cultural and natural heritage and stated
that UNESCO supports China in finding solutions to the current
problems.
Zhang Xinsheng, vice minister of education, director of China's
UNESCO National Commission and chairman of the World Heritage
Committee, said that world heritage sites are not only rare
treasures handed down from our ancestors, but also wealth borrowed
from future generations. Winning the title of world heritage site
is just the start of the protection and management work in
accordance with international conventions and higher standards, he
pointed out, and not an indication that the work is complete.
Vice Minister of Construction Huang Wei said that China's world
heritage protection work helped to raise public awareness, clarify
protection methods and promote local economic development. He added
that his ministry would strive to improve their work through
establishment of a comprehensive plan and expanded exchanges with
other countries.
Deputy Director of the State Administration of Cultural Relics
Zhang Bai said that instead of confining themselves only to the
promotion of local economies via tourism, local governments would
use the application for the world heritage list as a strategic
principle to promote progress and sustainable development.
Wu Xiaoqing, vice governor of Yunnan Province, said, "We have seen
the delicate and fragile natural environment of the Three Parallel
Rivers area. Resource-oriented methods of development must be
abandoned and the relationship between long-term interests and
short-term benefits properly treated. The concept of sustainable
usage will grow based on the world heritage protection criterion."
The 28th Session of the World Heritage Committee will be held
from June 28 to July 7 in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province.
(China.org.cn April 7, 2004)
