UNESCO expresses concern over 6 Chinese World Heritage sites

SHANGHAI, China (AP) - UNESCO has expressed concern over development at Tibet's Potala palace and five other Chinese World Heritage sites, and has urged corrective measures, a specialist with the group said Friday. In a move so far unreported in China, the United Nations group singled out two Chinese sites on the World Heritage List for "examination" and four more for "noting," Feng Jing, the World Heritage Committee's Asia specialist, wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press.

Chinese media earlier this week reported prominently on the addition of two more Chinese sites to the World Heritage List at the group's just-concluded meeting in New Zealand, bringing the country's total to 35.

A listing can vastly increase a site's attractiveness to tourists, and local governments compete ferociously for the honour - and the additional revenues it can bring.

It was not clear exactly what the designations meant, but sites can eventually be removed from the list if UNESCO's concerns are not met. However, Feng said no Chinese sites were considered for placement on the group's in danger list, a more serious step toward delisting.

Listed for noting were the Potala complex, which also includes two other sites in Tibet's capital, Lhasa, and Beijing's ancient imperial palace, summer palace and Temple of Heaven.

The old town in the southwestern city of Lijiang was listed for examination, along with the protected areas surrounding Yunnan province's Three Parallel Rivers, on which dams are being built.

"The committee expressed its concerns and proposed some corrective measures to be taken for its examination in June 2008," Feng wrote.

Feng said concerns included the negative impact on the sites from tourism-related or commercial projects, as was the case with Lijiang, one of China's top tourist draws.

UNESCO also wanted better planning and co-ordination between departments on heritage protection, and an "integrated urban development planning process" - particularly in the case of the Potala, which is becoming increasingly hemmed in by nondescript modern Chinese buildings.

In Beijing, which is sprucing up its sites for next year's 2008 Summer Olympic Games, UNESCO wanted the "application of clear principles in conducting conservation works," Feng wrote.

Dams on the Three Parallel Rivers also prompted concern, and Feng said the committee had noted some progress by China on conducting environmental impact assessments there. She also gave China credit for activating guidelines for future conservation and restoration work at World Heritage sites.

China is among the countries with the most listed sites, with the fortified tower houses of Kaiping and south China karst formations added this year.

© The Canadian Press, 2007