Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian

• Unstable archaeological strata and cave roof
• Need to prepare the master plan of the site giving priority to the remodelling of the museum facilities
• Complete halt of site excavations
• Lack of research funds
• Lack of adequate maintenance of the site
• Site museum needs to be refurbished

Previous deliberations:
Twenty-third session of the World Heritage Bureau - (paragraph number IV.52).
Twenty-third session of the World Heritage Committee - (paragraph number X.34)
Twenty-fourth extraordinary session of the World Heritage Bureau - (paragraph number I.44)

Main issues:        

• Physical conditions with potential or ascertained effects:

1. Seismic activity / Earthquakes: Due to the geological structure and the excavations, a number of the fossiliferous sites are potentially unstable and vulnerable to collapse. Earthquakes could trigger collapse.
2. Vegetation growth on the excavated sections and ground surfaces: If allowed to continue, can potentially break up the archaeological deposits through root action and removal. While controlled growth of smaller, shallow rooted plants could stabilize vertical sections, the presence of plant growth diminishes the visibility of the archaeological section and increase the fire risk.
3. Surface water and direct precipitation of rain and occasional snow: Growth of vegetation depends on water flow, which can contribute to physical erosion of the deposits, particularly the exposed vertical sections and cave floors at the drip line.

• Lack of a regular monitoring system: There is no systematic monitoring system, which provides information for quantitatively analyzing the rates of change in relation to key factors such as vegetation growth, erosion of exposed sections and visitor impacts. Result of monitoring is necessary to assess the needs for conservation and planning measures such as the construction of shelters over various localities.

• Lack of an overall conservation and management plan:

1. Tourism development: Uncontrolled visitor movement contributing to deterioration of archaeological deposits and small scale vandalism. In an effort to enhance visitors’ experiences, protective grilles at localities are left open, increasing the vulnerability of the archaeological deposits.
2. Mining and quarrying activity: Due to the geological structure and the excavations, a number of the fossiliferous sites are potentially unstable and vulnerable to collapse. These could be triggered by mining or quarrying activities outside the protected area.
3. Industrial pollution: caused by coal mining, lime burning, and other industrial and domestic emissions is visible as deposits on the site, and contributes to diminished visible distinction between the archaeological strata in the exposed sections.

New information:

1. In 1999, a Joint ICOMOS-ICCROM Reactive Monitoring Mission was undertaken to the site. This mission recommended both short and long term actions to be taken to address all the issues relevant to sustainable conservation and development of the site. The State Party informed the Committee at its twenty-third session (1999) on its intentions to seriously examine the recommendations of the Joint Mission.
2. Numerous independent reports expressing alarm over the state of conservation of the site were received by the Secretariat. Locality 1 and other excavated caves continue to be exposed and suffer erosion and plant growth.
3. Information was received concerning the closure of the site-museum due to financial constraints.

The Bureau requests the State Party to inform the Committee on the results of action taken on the recommendations of the 1999 ICOMOS-ICCROM Joint Mission. It requests the authorities to provide information concerning the measures taken to address the conservation and management challenges facing the site, especially with regard to the establishment of a systematic low-cost monitoring system for the entire site. The Bureau encourages the State Party to elaborate an international assistance request for the development of a comprehensive conservation and management plan for the site.

The Secretariat continued to receive numerous independent reports expressing alarm over the state of conservation of the site since the twenty-fifth session of the Bureau, especially concerning Locality 1 and other excavated caves which continue to be exposed and suffer from erosion and plant growth.

At the request of the Government of China, the World Heritage Centre and the Division of Cultural Heritage of UNESCO continued to explore possible extrabudgetary resources to address the priority conservation concerns.

The World Heritage Centre is organizing, in co-operation with the State Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Indonesia and the UNESCO Jakarta Office, an “International Training Course on the Preservation, Conservation and Management of Zhoukoudian and Sangiran Prehistoric World Heritage Sites” (22 - 27 October 2001, Solo, Indonesia). The objective is for experts and managers of the two prehistoric Asian World Heritage sites to exchange experiences in addressing the managerial and conservation problems.

The Centre continued to encourage the Chinese authorities to submit an international assistance request for providing international expertise and support for the elaboration of an overall management plan.