Decision 45 COM 7B.153

Ancient Building Complex in the Wudang Mountains (China) (C 705)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/23/45.COM/7B.Add.2,
2. Recalling Decision 44 COM 7B.19 adopted at its extended 44th session (Fuzhou/online, 2021),
3. Welcomes the efforts made by the State Party to strengthen the management of the property, and particularly the work for improved fire protection;
4. Takes note of the completion of the uplift project of the Yuzhen Palace and the report provided by the State Party after completion of the project, as requested in its previous decisions, and encourages the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre a comprehensive set of visual materials, including before and after photographs of the work carried out, for review by the Advisory Bodies, in order to allow for a full assessment of the project;
5. Notes with concern the information provided regarding the carrying capacity of the property and the substantial increase in visitor numbers at the property by comparison with the initially estimated carrying capacity, and requests that more detailed information be provided to the World Heritage Centre, for review by the Advisory Bodies, on the rationale for this change and its potential impacts on the property and attributes which support its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), especially the most sensitive areas, such as the Golden Peak;
6. Welcomes the clarification provided by the State Party concerning the number of component parts of the property, the boundaries and the buffer zone, but recalls its previous request that the buffer zone should incorporate the entirety of the Wudang Mountains Scenic Area, and therefore urges the State Party to submit up-to-date maps of the property as inscribed and the buffer zone, including detailed maps of each component part, to the World Heritage Centre;
7. Encourages the State Party to invite a joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS/ICCROM Advisory mission to the property to assess the overall state of conservation of the property, the outcomes of the uplift project of the Yuzhen Palace, and any resulting impacts on the property and its OUV and resulting mitigative measures, and to provide guidance to and engage with the State Party in its efforts to address the issues surrounding the component parts of the property, the delineation of the buffer zone, as well as the property’s carrying capacity and commensurate, sustainable visitor management strategies;
8. Requests the State Party to finalise the management plan for the property as soon as possible following the adoption of the boundary clarification, taking into account the revised delineation of the boundaries and buffer zone;
9. Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2024, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 47th session.