Mount Huangshan eyes biosphere reserve status

The Mount Huangshan Scenic Area, a world natural and cultural heritage, is now actively applying for inclusion in the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves, according to a high-ranking official of Huangshan City.

Ren Duofeng, mayor of Huangshan City where the world-renowned mountain is located, revealed the initiative on Tuesday at the ongoing Huangshan Dialogue on Space Technologies for World Heritage Sites and Biosphere Reserves and Potential New Category of Geoparks.

Mount Huangshan will become the first Chinese scenic area to win all three UNESCO honors of “world heritage,” “world geopark” and “world biosphere reserve” if it can join the biosphere program in 2015 as planned.

“We are positive about Huangshan’s entry into the biosphere network,” said Han Qunli, Secretary General of UNESCO Man and Biosphere Program. “We will also give the local government some suggestions regarding its application work.”

The Huangshan dialogue, running from May 27 to May 30, consists of 15 themed reports and 25 symposiums, with a Huangshan Declaration to be released during the event.

168 representatives from UNESCO, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the International Council on Monuments and Sites（ICOMOS）as well as 23 countries took part in the dialogue.