The Beijing Municipal Bureau of Landscape and Forestry published
a revised General Plan for the Great Wall (Badaling Section)-Ming
Mausoleums Scenic Area (2007-2020) on its official website
yesterday in order to solicit public opinions.
The whole scenic area covers a total of 326.37 square
kilometers, encompassing dozens of tourist spots. It would receive
a maximum of 53,300?person-times every day, or 16
million?person-times every year, according to the plan.
Also included in the general plan is a four-tier rating system
for different parts of the Great Wall, designed to regulate tourist
behavior and minimize damage to this renowned historic site.
In level-1 spots of the Great Wall that still maintain an
original look, tourists may only view with their eyes; climbing is
forbidden. There is also a cap on the daily number of tourists. For
level-2 spots where the wall is under protection or under partial
renovation, a limited number of tourists will be allowed to climb
in some designated areas. Unprotected areas will only be opened up
to scientific researchers.
Level-3 spots refer to those sections of the Great Wall that
have undergone comprehensive renovations. In these areas, tourists
will be allowed to climb the wall. However, the number of tourists
will be limited during holiday peak periods to prevent any further
damage to the wall.
For level-4 spots, there will be no limit in principle on
tourist numbers.
The general plan also classified tourist spots in the
Badaling-Ming Mausoleums scenic area into five different categories
for the first time, in line with their functions: core scenic
spots, general tourist spots, landscape cultivation and recovering
areas, environment coordination areas and tourist service
areas.
The core scenic spots have a total area of 178 square kilometers
and are largely human landscapes, including the Badaling and
Juyongguan sections of the Great Wall, Ming Mausoleums cluster, and
Silver Mountain Pagoda Forest Area.
In the Ming Mausoleums cluster, the burial site of 13 out of 17
emperors of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), a whole package of
renovations will continue. Some non-historic sites buildings within
the scenic spot will be dismantled.
As part of the general plan, traffic facilities will also be
re-arranged in and around the scenic areas.
Any new construction or renovations of traffic facilities that
have nothing to do with resources protection will be forbidden in
the core scenic spots. Parking facilities for public vehicles will
also be moved outside of these areas.
The entrance to the Great Wall scenic spot will also be moved
further outside to Heilongtan, where a transport hub and several
service points will be set up. External motor vehicles will be
prevented from entering the scenic spot. Existing parking lots and
commercial facilities will also be moved to the new entrance and
their current sites will be converted into greenbelts.
Some major cross-frontier expressways will remain as they are in
the scenic spot areas. But the routes for some others will have to
be adjusted; new routes will be constructed on the periphery of the
scenic areas. The planned mileage for cross-frontier roads within
scenic spots is 98.3 kilometers.
Major lanes for tour vehicles will cover a total length of 48.6
kilometers within scenic spots, according to the plan.
(China.org.cn by Yuan Fang, November 21, 2007)
