Society

Expert calls 1b yuan landform fee worthwhile

By Yan Weijue (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2010-08-11 10:24

The estimated investment of more than one billion yuan ($148 million) for Danxia landform to be included on the World Heritage List on Aug 1 is worthwhile, an expert said Tuesday, according to Guangzhou Daily.

Related readings:  Tourists pay higher fees for UNESCO heritage sites  Overdevelopment is destroying China's heritage  Danxia receives world recognition from UNESCO

Peng Hua, a professor from Sun Yat-Sen University in Guangdong and leader of China's world heritage declaration expert group at Brasilia, accounts for the sum of money during an interview with the newspaper.

He classifies the investments into three groups. The first one is the construction or remodeling of basic facilities like roads and sanitation, in order to meet the requirements of UNESCO. The second one is the construction of supporting facilities like museums, tourist centers, monitoring centers; the last expense will go to improvements and repairs of scenic spots, such as the demolition or transformation of buildings and villages.

"I think the investment is cost-efficient. You should look at it as a sustainable process because we plan to do it for the development of the local economy in dozens of years to come. Issues concerning the livelihood of people in the village or scenic spots are addressed properly during the application process. And the construction of facilities will remain in coordination with society. "