Society

2 Chinese sites may make World Heritage List

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-05-06 11:20

PARIS - UNESCO's World Heritage Committee plans to consider in June the inscription of 40 more natural and cultural properties into the World Heritage List, including two from China, the Paris-based UN Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization announced on Thursday.

Tourists visit the West Lake in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province on April 15, 2011. [Photo/Xinhua]

Two sites in China will be weighed respectively to enter the list of natural property and cultural property - Wudalianchi National Park in Northeast China's Heilongjiang province and West Lake Cultural Landscape of Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province in eastern China.

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The Wudalianchi National Park, meaning the five interconnected parks, is famous for a topographical miracle wrought by an erupting volcanic mountain more than 60,000 years ago, while the ancient city of Hangzhou, dubbed as "the Heaven on Earth," endowed the West Lake surroundings a beautiful scenery and enriched it with dramatic myths.  

During the upcoming session scheduled on June 19-29 in Paris, remarkable sites from six countries - Barbados, Jamaica, Micronesia, Palau, Congo, and the United Arab Emirates will be considered for the first time. Meanwhile, the committee will also discuss the inscription of other nine natural properties located in Africa, Europe and Asia.

Except for three properties proposed for both natural and cultural criteria as "mixed natural and cultural" sites, there are in total 29 sites to be considered for inscription of cultural properties, including the West Lake in China,

In addition, the committee will examine the state of conservation of 169 properties including the 34 sites inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger because of serious threats to their outstanding universal value.

The World Heritage Committee, responsible for the implementation of the World Heritage Convention, comprises representatives of 21 countries, elected by the States Parties of the World Heritage Convention for four years. Each year, the committee adds new sites to the List.