Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area

• Site to be overrun with tourist facilities (issue resolved)
• Several parts of the site severely impacted by floods in 1998 (issue resolved)
• Plan for rehabilitation of damaged areas required (issue resolved)

The 2014 IUCN World Heritage Outlook noted that the property’s Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) is threatened by uncontrolled development of tourism facilities, roads, and increased visitation. Concerns regarding air and water pollution were also noted.  On 11 February 2015, the World Heritage Centre wrote to the State Party to request further information on these matters.

On 20 March 2015, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report, which is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/640/documents/ and reports as follows:

• The maintenance of existing roads and construction of new roads are well designed to prevent any damage to the property. Two new roads have been constructed since 1998, of which a 6 km section lies inside the property, and a 2.09 km section in its buffer zone;
• Any construction and commercial activities that may damage the authenticity and integrity of the sandstone peaks and biodiversity within the property are forbidden. Illegally constructed tourist facilities were demolished between 1999 and 2003 and again, between 2006 and 2009, and a third phase of the demolition project will be conducted between 2015 and 2018. It is reported that at present, no hotel, restaurant or guest house exist within the property;
• Three cable cars, one elevator and an electric railway for tourists that currently exist within the property underwent a strict site selection process and were subject to Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA). These developments are causing a visual impact on 5.34 km² (2.02%) of the total area of the property;
• The property’s tourist carrying capacity is stated to be 5.56 million visitors per year, and there were 3.5 million visitors in 2012. Tourist numbers to the property are strictly controlled via an automated system, which stops selling tickets when it reaches a threshold. However, during specific days of the year the daily limit on visitor numbers is exceeded. The Overall Plan on the Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area (2005-2020) had been revised and includes provisions for tourism management;
• Measures to limit air, water and noise pollution are being implemented;
• Recalling the Committee’s recommendation at the time of inscription to consider nomination under criteria (x), the State Party is increasing its efforts on biodiversity research, and an animal catalogue for the property will be formulated in 2015.

The State Party also considers that although the OUV of the property has been partly affected by the cable cars and a glass elevator, it is generally well preserved, and restoration of areas where illegal developments were demolished has progressed well.

It is recommended that the Committee welcome the State Party’s ongoing efforts to manage impacts from pollution and to remove illegal tourist facilities and buildings within the property and its buffer zone. It is noted that the third phase of the demolition project will be conducted from 2015 to 2018, and it is recommended that the Committee request the State Party to ensure engagement of affected local communities in the demolition project, to report on the outcomes of this project, and to also provide further information on any remaining illegal developments, the activities foreseen to remove them, and the progress achieved with the ecological restoration of affected areas, for possible examination by the Committee at its 43rd session in 2019.

It is noted with concern that cable cars, an elevator and an electric railway, which were built with the intention to enhance visitor experience and reduce environmental pressure by alleviating crowding, are having a negative impact on the property’s OUV as recognized under criterion (vii).  It is therefore recommended that the Committee request the State Party to not permit any further such developments within the property, in order to avoid additional impacts on its OUV.

It is also recommended that the Committee request the State Party to ensure that no further road development is permitted within the property, and that any road development outside the property does not negatively impact on its OUV. Furthermore, it is recommended that the Committee request the State Party to ensure that any proposed developments that could impact the property are reported to the World Heritage Centre, prior to any decisions being taken that would be difficult to reverse, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines.

It is noted that measures are in place to manage the number of tourists that visit the property, although during specific days of the year the maximum number of visitors is exceeded. The number of tourists remains high and appears to be increasing. Therefore, it is recommended that the Committee request the State Party to submit a copy of the revised 2005-2020 Overall Plan on Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area to the World Heritage Centre, for review by the World Heritage Centre and IUCN. It is also recommended that the Committee encourage the State Party to consider further enhancing its tourism strategy, as required, on the basis of new online learning module developed by the World Heritage Sustainable Tourism Programme.