Conserving cultural heritage

It seems time really is money. A history of more than 5,000 years has bestowed us 38 cultural heritage sites on the UNESCO's World Heritage List and some of these places have been turned into cash cows.

The latest two moneymakers are the Palace Museum and the Chengde Mountain Resort, the summer resort and second political center of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) emperors. Parts of the two cultural heritage sites have been turned into private clubs for rich people.

UNESCO World Heritage sites are required to have a management plan. In general, these sites have a strictly protected inner zone where human habitation is forbidden or its growth strictly controlled, where no alterations other than conservation work are permitted and where visits are properly managed.