Heritage sites protected on ground and from space

Scenery at Shennongjia, a forest area in Hubei province, which was recently listed as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage.[Photo/Xinhua]

Multiple methods are being used to protect China's newest UNESCO World Heritage Site, according to the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.

Shennongjia, a forest area in central Hubei province, was the most recent to be listed as a World Natural Heritage Site on July 17. The zone covers a 73,300-hectare area with another 41,500-hecatre buffer zone.

According to Ai Weiying, deputy head of the Shennongjia Forestry District government, the number of annual visitors will be capped at 798,000 annually - 14 percent more than last year - as the number of visitors is expected to increase as a result of the area's placement on the list.