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West Lake to be included in the World Heritage List in June
On the day of "International Day for Monuments and Sites" on Monday, we got some good news from Zhejiang Province. The West Lake has qualified in the review of the state of conservation by The World Heritage Committee, and the final decision of whether the West Lake will be included in the World Heritage List will be made in June this year.
The West Lake first submitted for inscription on the World Heritage List as "Cultural Properties" in 1999. In the past decade, both the government and citizens have been making effort to protect the beautiful site, and in two months, The Committee will announce their final decisions at the World Heritage Convention in Bahrain.
Guo Zhan, Vice President of Int’l Council on Monuments and Sites, said, "Let's wait. The discussion will take place during the 35th Session of the World Heritage Committee from June the 19th to the 28th in Paris. 3 or 4 days into it, we should be able to know the results."
Meanwhile, the local government has been calling all forms of discussion, seeking advice for the conservation of West Lake. The basic method taken so far is to limit the number of tourists and vehicles within the site area. Mr Guo made this example:
Guo said, "Three main halls of the Imperial Palace are no longer allowing visitors to enter, because the floor tile made of gold is too fragile to be stepped on. People walking on it a thousand times a day will cause irreversible damage. It's an essential measure to take."
To date, China owns 40 natural and cultural properties inscribed in UNESCO's World Heritage List. Now, Hangzhou citizens are eagerly looking for a familiar name to be added to the list.
The West Lake first submitted for inscription on the World Heritage List as "Cultural Properties" in 1999. In the past decade, both the government and citizens have been making effort to protect the beautiful site, and in two months, The Committee will announce their final decisions at the World Heritage Convention in Bahrain.
Guo Zhan, Vice President of Int’l Council on Monuments and Sites, said, "Let's wait. The discussion will take place during the 35th Session of the World Heritage Committee from June the 19th to the 28th in Paris. 3 or 4 days into it, we should be able to know the results."
Meanwhile, the local government has been calling all forms of discussion, seeking advice for the conservation of West Lake. The basic method taken so far is to limit the number of tourists and vehicles within the site area. Mr Guo made this example:
Guo said, "Three main halls of the Imperial Palace are no longer allowing visitors to enter, because the floor tile made of gold is too fragile to be stepped on. People walking on it a thousand times a day will cause irreversible damage. It's an essential measure to take."
To date, China owns 40 natural and cultural properties inscribed in UNESCO's World Heritage List. Now, Hangzhou citizens are eagerly looking for a familiar name to be added to the list.
