World Natural Heritage in China

China has a vast territory and abundant natural resources with many scenic spots and historic sites.A number of these have been put on the List of World Heritage, which is a pride of the Chinese nation.

Since 1986, the Chinese government has submitted applications to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and CulturalOrganization

(UNESCO) for the ratification of some historic relics and natural sceneries to be world heritage. Now there are 41 natural sceneries andhistoric relics on the World Heritage List of the World Heritage Committee of UWESCO (by June,2011), and the list is still expanding. Of the 41,29 are cultural heritage sites,8 are natural heritage sites, and 4 are mixed cultural and natural sites.

The Natural Sites

Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area(1992)

Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area (1992)

Mount Sanqingshan National Park (2008)

Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries-Wolong, Mt Siguniang and Jia jin lMountains (2006)

South China Karst(2007)

Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas (2003)

Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area (1992)

China Danxia(2010)

Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area(1996)

Mount Huangshan(1990)

Mount Taishan(1987)

Mount Wuyi(1999)

A scenic area refers to a state-named area with beautiful environment, spots of interest, and conditions for tourism development, for sightseeing, relaxation or scientific and cultural activities. It corresponds to national parks in some other countries. The sign of the scenic area is coposed of iages and words. The images include the Great Wall, mountains and rivers, which symbolize the long history and natural landscape, gingkgo leaves and tea leaves, which symbolize the beautiful and ecological enviroment and plants. Words on the sign read “NATIONAL PARK OF CHINA”.

To ensure a scientific administration of various kinds of scenic spots and avoid the destruction of tourist resources，the governments at different levels put them under their unified management.The State Council of China identified six lists of national scenic areas respectively in 1982，1988，1994，2002，2004 and 2005.Up to December 2009，China has identified 208 national scenic areas.

Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area

Situated in the northwest of Sichuan Province，the Huanglong valley is made up of snow-capped peaks and the easternmost of all the Chinese glaciers.In addition to its mountain landscape，diverse forest ecosystems can be found，as well as spectacular limestone formations，waterfalls and hot springs.The area also has a population of endangered animals，including the giant panda and the Sichuan Mulingyuan scenic and Historic Interest Area

than 3.000 species of higb-class plants.35 of which were first recorded in The Handbook of Rare and Endangered Chinese Plants Now under Protection.The area also contains two primeval sub-forests now under conservation.

Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area More than four hundred kilometers north of Chengdu，the Area stretches over 80 kilometers and covers an area of over 60，000 hectares.Its wonderful scenes of green lakes，overlapping falls，colorful forests，snowy peaks and its Tibetan life are of worldwide renown.

Spectacular, primitive and natural, Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Area is known as “Fairy Land on Earth”. Its mountains are 1,980 m to 3,100 m above sea level, strange in shape and covered by both exuberant coniferous forests and broadleaf forests. The spectacles in the four seasons are changeful and fanciful. Particularly in autum, the colorful forests look like colorful waves of lakes, while the lakes, springs, rivers and brooks are all linked to each other, beautiful and colorful.