Old Town of Lijiang celebrates ninth World Heritage Day

The old town of Lijiang, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Southwest China's Yunnan province, displayed its slogan for its ninth World Heritage Day, together with its achievements in heritage protection since 2006, on a billboard-sized screen in Yuhe Square at the entrance of the old town as well as on the Internet and in newspapers from Dec 1 to Dec 4.

On Dec 4, Lijiang World Heritage Day, the city's legislative affairs office and the Heritage Monitoring Center of the Old Town Protection Authority set up booths and information desks to answer questions and publicize regulations on world heritage protection. Staff patiently answered questions regarding home repairs, commercial rules, old town maintenance fee collections, administrative enforcement of law, world heritage knowledge, and cultural heritage preservation.

Young volunteers from the Naxi ethnic group, wearing the slogan "Preserving Cultural Heritage, Safeguarding Peace of Mind" on their clothes, busied themselves by handing out materials. The 10,000 pieces of distributed materials included leaflets promoting laws, Lijiang Daily's special issue on the heritage day, the Regulations on Lijiang Old Town Protection, and other materials covering relevant areas.

The old town is the only city in China honored as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, State-listed "Famous Historical and Culture City," "National Civilization Scenic Spot" and national 5A scenery site. In August 2005, the city government named Dec 4 as Lijiang World Heritage Day.

Young volunteers from the Naxi ethnic group. Photo provided to China Daily.