Danxia a world heritage, but how to protect it?

By Zhang Dongya

An August 2 vote at the World Heritage Conference in Brazil made China’s Danxia a new world heritage site.

With 40 world heritage sites, China ranks third in the world. Its first world heritage site was recognized in 1987, the year after the country became a signatory in the Convention concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage.

There are more than 200 domestic sites vying to be next on the list. Some 60 have been shortlisted for submission, 35 of which – including West Lake in Hangzhou – are already preparing for next year’s annual bid.

Danxia wins

It was 5 am, August 2 – Beijing time.

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee had just started the meeting to decide whether “China Danxia Landform” would become the latest addition to the World Heritage List at the 34th conference in Brasilia, capital of Brazil.

Danxia is the general name for six geologically and geographically related land areas: Chishui in Guizhou, Taining in Fujian, Langshan Mountain in Hunan, Danxia Mountain in Guangdong, Longhu Mountain in Jiangxi and Jianglang Mountain in Zhejiang.

Twenty of the 21 member countries present at the meeting agreed that Danxia needed to be protected.

“The only objection was to the name ‘Danxia’ and to China’s late submission of the application, which were hardly crippling issues,” said Harry Zhang, a representative at the Office of Application for World Heritage.

The unique geomorphology is called “red cliff” by scholars abroad. In China, it uses the more romantic name “Danxia,” or red clouds.

“Most people in other countries understand the name after explanation. The name lets us keep this feature rooted in southeast China,” Zhang said.

Danxia meets two of the most important criteria for natural heritage: it is a remarkable natural phenomena and an area of exceptional natural beauty, and it is an outstanding example of a major stage in the Earth’s history that embeds the record of life in a significant on-going geological process.

The ancient architectural complex of the Shaolin Temple, called “The Center of Heaven and Earth” in Dengfeng, Henan Province, was also included in the World Culture Heritage list. The last conference had deferred its ruling, but approved it this year under a new name.