Ancient Building Complex in the Wudang Mountains

• Management activities (Project to raise up the Yuzhen Palace at the property)
• Management systems / Management Plan (Requirement for a living heritage management approach)
• Impacts of tourism / visitor / recreation (Tourism development has begun to reach a critical mass)
• Others (Lack of clarity regarding components and buffer zone of the property)

N/A

On 7 March 2023, the State Party submitted a report on the state of conservation of the property, an executive summary of which is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/705/documents/ and provides information on the following issues:

• Strengthening of the regulatory and administrative procedures to promote a stronger legal basis for protection of the property;
• Enhancement of capacity of personnel involved with the management of the property;
• Setting up of a fire brigade and fire equipment to enhance protection from fire hazards;
• Establishment of a team of voluntary guardians from surrounding areas to strengthen management;
• Conservation and repair of a number of the structures at component parts of the property.

The State Party also reiterated its previous request to organise a symposium with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies to discuss issues around the boundaries and buffer zone of the property.

The State Party, furthermore, has annexed a detailed report of implementation for the project for the uplift of the Yuzhen Palace, which has been completed. A Plan for Conservation and Management of the Ancient Building Complex in the Wudang Mountains (2019-2035) and an Evaluation Report on the Implementation of the Master Plan for the Wudang Mountains Scenic Area (2012-2025) have also been submitted, as has a report on the study of visitor carrying capacity of the property.

On 14 March 2023, the World Heritage Centre wrote to the State Party in response to the boundary clarification request submitted by the State Party in April 2021 in the framework of the Retrospective Inventory to request additional information.

The steps taken by the State Party to strengthen the management of the property are noted with appreciation, particularly the work on fire protection, which is crucial given the heritage typology and the difficult topography of the property.

Regarding the uplift project of the Yuzhen Palace, the report by the State Party is noted, as is the complexity of the work undertaken. The report outlines the work carried out in the background of the uplift project, the steps carried out to ensure authenticity and integrity, as well as detailed descriptions of some of the principles for the conservation of the individual elements of the palace complex. The report would be strengthened, however, with the addition of significantly more visual materials, including before and after photographs of the work that has been carried out. Given that the work has been completed, the World Heritage Committee may wish to encourage the State Party to invite a joint World Heritage Centre/ICCROM/ICOMOS Advisory mission to assess the outcomes of this complex project and possible impacts on the property and its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) and, if appropriate, to advise on mitigation of any identified impacts.

Regarding the property’s carrying capacity, the State Party’s report provides information on the maximum number of visitors that have been determined for the site as a whole and for individual elements. However, while the carrying capacity for the entire site was initially estimated at 25,000 in 2021, that number has now risen to 45,000. Clarification should be sought from the State Party about this very substantial increase and its potential impacts on the attributes which support the OUV of the property. The carrying capacity of the most sensitive areas, such as the golden peak, remains high, at 8,000 visitors per day. While the State Party’s report indicates that this number is considered acceptable, more detailed information should be sought about how this assessment was made.

Regarding the management plan, and particularly the clarification of the numbers of component parts that form the property, its boundaries and the buffer zone, the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies acknowledge the submission of a boundary clarification in 2021. The determination of the number of component parts has been well explained, but the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies maintain, consistent with previous technical advice and Decision 44 COM 7B.19, that the buffer zone should incorporate the entirety of the Wudang Mountains Scenic Area. This would provide the necessary protection of the important but complex mountain cultural landscape that provides the setting for the component parts of the property. It would be recommended that the Advisory mission to be encouraged by the Committee also provide further advice on delineation of the boundaries and buffer zone so that these matters may be resolved in a manner that is consistent with Committee Decisions and which conserves the attributes which support and convey the OUV of the property.

Until the question of the delineation of the boundaries and buffer zone is clarified, it may not be possible to fully finalize the management plan for the property. This means that this work, although important to the conservation and management of the property, must remain outstanding until it is completed.