China’s recent success in adding two more sites to the UNESCO World Heritage List testifies to a global acknowledgement of the sites’ cultural and natural value, and increased funding from the World Heritage Foundation for such areas will ensure better protection of the sites. However, while local governments celebrate the good news, the World Heritage frenzy has provoked questions, with some contemplating possible downsides.

Price Hikes

Shortly after the announcement that “The Center of Heaven and Earth” was added to the World Heritage List, netizens began debating whether or not ticket prices for Shaolin Temple would rise. Shi Yongxin, abbot of Shaolin Temple, swiftly replied that ticket prices would remain the same. Dengfeng’s Municipal Government asserted that not only was a price hike out of the question, but also that they were developing a program allowing tourists to visit the city’s World Cultural Heritage sites for free from October to December of this year.

The responses temporarily satisfied the public’s concerns. In recent years, price hikes became the norm for many Chinese scenic areas after their addition to the World Heritage List, including Wulingyuan Scenic Area, Mount Huangshan, Jiuzhaigou Valley, and the ancient villages of Xidi and Hongcun. Lately, prices at resorts around Danxia landform have risen noticeably. In a media interview, Hou Rongfeng, deputy director of Guangdong Danxia Mountain Administration, defended the trend, noting, “The current ticket price for Danxia Mountain is 100 yuan on weekdays and 120 yuan on holidays and weekends, compared to an average of 160 yuan for other geoparks in China. In fact, admission at many World Heritage sites, including Mount Huangshan and Jiuzhaigou Valley, has topped 200 yuan.” He suggests that Danxia is amongst the more affordable sites, with plentiful room for adjustment.

Peng Hua, a professor at the School of Geography and Planning of Sun Yat-sen University and leader of China’s world heritage declaration expert group, views the phenomenon from a different angle. “The practice of connecting ticket prices with heritage status distorts the meaning of heritage application,” he explains. In some cities, the momentum for heritage application is derived from an already increased demand for tourism development, but a tourism industry boom has little to do with ticket prices, which only account for a small proportion of tourism consumption. “Heritage application should be an effort to enhance protection,” Peng continues. “It’s a commitment that means increased responsibility to the UNESCO World Heritage Convention. This factor must be clear to local governments when submitting applications.” Peng adds that in some more economically developed areas, admission to World Heritage Sites has been cut to only a small nominal fee, or even completely free. Conservation and management funds come directly from the local government, which stimulates even greater tourism service consumption.