"Protect China's geological heritage; conserve it for all of humanity; sustain your local communities, and build a first class global geopark!"

This is an inscription for Haikou Shishan Volcano Group National Geopark by Dr Patric J Mckeever, an advisor to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on geological heritage and a member of the UNESCO geopark evaluation team.

Mckeever and many Chinese geological experts recently conducted a field study of the Haikou Shishan Volcano Group National Geopark in South China's Hainan Province.

Haikou Shishan Volcano Group National Geopark, together with Zhanjiang Huguangyan National Geopark, jointly applied for a world geopark title in the name of Leiqiong Geopark last May.

The geological heritage in Haikou Shishan Volcano Group National Geopark is well preserved and the park has done a good job on geological science popularization, experts said.

"The volcanic cave is one of the most distinguished in China and even in the world, in terms of its length and width. And it is bound to attract visitors," said Qiu Jiaxiang, professor of the China University of Geosciences, after the field study.

"With such abundant volcanic geological resources, the park should do its best to protect them and build itself into one of the most famous volcanic landscapes in the world," Professor of the China Academy of Geological Sciences Chen Anze said.

Three-level protection

After the investigation, experts gave feasible suggestions for the protection of the volcano group based on its concrete conditions.

"According to our preliminary ideas, different measures should be adopted to give protection to the volcanoes here in view of the various geological categories and geographic dimensions they belong to," said Tao Kuiyuan, former chief geologist of the Volcano and Mine Research Department of the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences.

The experts put forward a concept of three-level protection.

The first level demands strict protection of the geological landscape, such as the craters of the volcano group and the tunnels of the limestone cave, preventing artificial changes and destructions of the landform and surface features.

The second-level protection object is the entourage of craters and cave tunnels. In this sphere, tourism facilities are allowed but should not damage the landscape and pollute the environment. At the same time, the quantity and style of the facilities are subject to strict control.

The rest of the geopark belongs to the third-level protection area where necessary tourism facilities are allowed through planning and approval of related authorities. In the meantime, protection measures should be focused on the cultural elements, such as the protection of the ancient volcanic villages.

(China Daily June 23, 2003)