Protect the country's historical heritage

Some local governments intend to package 10 ancient buildings in their regions to jointly apply for UNESCO's World Cultural Heritage title, says an article in 21st Century Business Herald. Excerpts:

The so-called ancient buildings are mostly fake constructions built with modern materials such as iron and cement. Some of them only carry the name of the ancient buildings, which have long disappeared.

The World Cultural Heritage program of UNESCO has strict evaluation rules and standards. The governments should know the rules clearly before making the decision to apply.

Members of the public should also be concerned because the ticket prices of many places of historical interest in China rise sharply after the sites win the title.

The World Cultural Heritage title is awarded only to sites where the cultural heritage is well protected and maintained. Yet, many local authorities obviously have not performed well in this area. Many old buildings were demolished to give way to commercial real estate developments. Some local governments even spent huge amounts of money reconstructing fake buildings to attract tourists.

Local governments should be more sincere in protecting places of historical interest. Irreplaceable heritage sites are more precious than dazzling skyscrapers.