More investment should go into protecting scenic resources, says a signed article in Shanghai Youth Daily. An excerpt follows:

The seven-day May Day holiday has come to an end. Massive crowds of tourists over-crowding hot destinations led to a series of problems such as visitors having difficulty finding accommodation and tickets for the return journey. Some scenic sites were packed at three times their capacity during the holidays. On May 2, the Forbidden City in Beijing received more than twice as many visitors as its maximum capacity.

The consecutive flood of tourists in popular scenic spots like the Forbidden City, Mogao Grottos in Dunhuang and Potala Palace in Lhasa have contributed much to tourism. It is said that the comprehensive income in 39 monitored key tourist cities reached 20 billion yuan (US$2.4 billion) over the "golden week" holiday.

The number is exciting but a warning lies behind it. Our scenic spots have not been protected enough. Though the ticket sales are good, there has not been sufficient investment to protect the scenic spots or maintain facilities.

Take the scenic spot of Wulingyuan in Zhangjiajie, Hunan Province for example. According to the People's Daily, only 8 yuan (US$1) out of the 158-yuan (US$20) ticket price goes directly to protecting resources.

The situation in other places is no better.

The Pingyao Ancient Town's historic wall, a world cultural heritage site in Shanxi Province, collapsed several times in three years. Less than 30 per cent of the Great Wall built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) or its remains is visible today.

In Jiangxi Province's Lushan Mountain scenic spots, villas were constructed against laws and regulations. And in such a situation, scenic spots are still raising ticket prices in the name of "protection." It almost became a "year of price hikes" for scenic spots in 2005.

The "golden week" holidays may bring tremendous income for tourist cites, but a bigger portion of the income should go to protecting the scenic resources.

(China Daily May 11, 2006)