China Danxia

People from the local communities are involved in management and have a good understanding of the World Heritage status (People’s Republic of China, 2008a). Effective measures were reported to promote local community development. Some examples include: 1. Ten regions in China have been evaluated as "good" for their poverty alleviation work in 2018, and have been awarded 400 million yuan ($57.9 million) each for their outstanding achievements in poverty alleviation, according to a news conference of the State Council. One of them is Chishui where tourism helps to generate income for local villagers (China Daily, 2019a). 2. Local communities have been involved in the tourism development of Taining for many years, working as boatmen in Shangqing stream or others (China Daily, 2019b). The integration of tea culture and tourism has been a pursuit of Taining in recent years, with a tea park built at the center of its most famous Dajinhu Lake scenic area as part of a project of the local government for developing eco-tourism. The park, covering over 33 ha, focuses on growing Wuyi Rock Tea, a famous tea variety in Fujian province, to promote the distinct local tea culture of the region (China Daily, 2019b). 3. Based on an on-the-spot investigation through questionnaires and interviews, it was found that the World Heritage inscription helped residents to get new understanding about Langshan, and produced larger effect on place identity, place dependent, natural environment perception as well as social-cultural perception. World Heritage inscription reinforced residents’ sense of place and enhanced their expectation and support of local tourism development (Zheng Qunming, et al, 2014). 4. Duanshi Village in Danxiashan has experienced tourism development, the promotion of government and experts and the outside capital also play an important role in the community participation (Yan Ting, 2014). 5. Xianshuiyan rural tourism demonstration site is located at the entrance of Xianshuiyan, Longhushan. It is the first batch of farmhouse demonstration villages supported and built by the management committee of Longhushan with integrated funds. At present, the village has set up a total of 38 rural households with 1,300 beds, of which 14 households are assessed by star standards, including 5 four-star households and 33 three-star households. Farmhouse has become the leading industry for the prosperity of the village and an important part of the tourism reception in Longhushan (Sohu website, 2016). 6. According to statistics, in the first three quarters of 2015, rural tourism in Jiangshan City (Where Jianglangshan is located) received 3.3079 million tourists and its revenue reached 198 million yuan, an increase of 30.6% and 60.1% over the previous year, driving 4,800 rural tourism employees. The city has cultivated and established 7 farmhouses complex, 3 farmhouses cluster villages, and 130 three-star farmhouses (Zhejiang Daily, 2015).

All land in the property is state-owned. Protection status varies from site to site but includes the designations of national nature reserve, national forest and geopark. The property has protection under the relative laws and regulations of national, provincial and local governments (People’s Republic of China, 2008a; 2008b; UNEP-WCMC, 2012). The Ministry of Housing and Urban-rural Development has issued a circular on the protection and management of China Danxia World Natural Heritage Site (The Ministry of Housing and Urban-rural Development, 2010). In addition to the national laws and regulations, each component has its own regulation and/or Measures on Protection and Management.

The governance is complex, with the involvement of six different provinces. However, the Management Plan in use prior to inscription was updated since. Governance arrangements were a component of the Management Plan. From 2010 to now, the China Danxia World Natural Heritage Protection Committee has held eight consecutive working meetings (Xiao Shizhen, 2018; Cai Xue, 2011; Jiang Weifeng, Wang Yun, 2012; Xinlang Hunan, 2014; Chen Jianping, 2015; Luo Yilin, 2016; Xu Zhilin, 2017; Zhou Weichao, 2018; Forestry Bureau of Chishui, 2019). In the site, a rigorous and meticulous working mechanism led by the government, the main responsibility of the supervisor, the cooperation of departments, the assistance of townships, and the participation of the whole people has been established and improved to strictly protect the ecological resources of the world natural heritage (IUCN Consultation, 2024). From the national to local levels, the State Forestry and Grassland Administration, provincial governments (Provincial Forestry Departments), municipal governments (Municipal Forestry Bureaus), and county governments (County Forestry Bureaus) conduct unified management. The six components have jointly formed the China Danxia World Natural Heritage Protection Committee, responsible for organization, coordination, technical guidance, and progress supervision (State Party of China, 2023).

The development and management of China Danxia are planned according to five-year plans. Local governments put the site’s development and protection as a priority status. It plays an important role in the development of the local area and the whole country (The thirteenth five-year plan, 2017). In 2023, the State Council approved the "Guizhou Province's Territorial Space Planning (2021-2035)", explicitly requiring the strengthening of the overall protection and systematic activation and utilization of natural heritage sites such as China Danxia (Chishui), and the improvement of the spatial protection mechanism for cultural and natural heritage (State Council, 2023). From 2020 to 2024, Shaoguan City is strengthening natural heritage protection, monitoring, utilization, and international cooperation by focusing on the creation of Danxia Mountain National Park. This effort has paved a new way for human-nature harmony. Its heritage education model was recognized by UNESCO as one of the top ten global heritage education innovation cases and included in China’s "Guarding Green Mountains and Clear Waters - Forestry and Grassland Practice" examples (Shaoguan Danxia Mountain Management Committee, 2024).

Boundaries of the property and the buffer zones for each of the component parts are well demarcated and logical with respect to ensuring integrity (IUCN, 2010; People’s Republic of China, 2008a; 2008b). IUCN considers that the boundaries of the property are adequate for the protection of aesthetic and earth science values, however further efforts are needed to adequately protect the biodiversity values (IUCN, 2010) and the World Heritage Committee also requested the State Party to continue its focus on the protection and effective management of the important biodiversity values (The World Heritage Committee, 2010). Therefore, it may be necessary for some component parts of China Danxia to do more research on the possibility and/or feasibility of the boundaries modification to enhance the protection of the important biodiversity values in the future.

Several components of the World Heritage Site are also UNESCO Global Geoparks. These include Taining in Fujian Province, Danxiashan in Guangdong Province, Longhushan in Jaingxi Province. The extent to which their management is coordinated and effective remains to be evaluated.

After the successful inscription of China Danxia, the main contents of the management plan were effectively implemented (Peng Hua, 2012). Although each component has its own management plan based on its national protective designation, the Management Plan of the whole China Danxia World Natural Heritage Property submitted when nominated is from 2008 to 2012, so the components of China Danxia are suggested to prepare for new management plans (Forestry Bureau of Chishui, 2019), and an integrated management plan across the whole China Danxia World Heritage property is encouraged.

The property is an excellent educational opportunity for past climate change. Danxia landscape evolution is globally significant for revealing the history and processes of geographical and environmental changes and of climate changes on earth since the Cretaceous period. The diversity of landscapes is also subject to dynamic geomorphological processes that will be affected by climate change. The low-carbon management system established by the Taining and the measures to ban firewood from surrounding villages in the key protected areas of Taining County refer to mitigation of emissions efforts by the World Heritage Community of the Climate Change policy (State Party of China, 2023).

A management plan exists for each of the sites in the serial property and there is an integrated management plan for the property as a whole (People’s Republic of China, 2008a; 2008b). A Committee has been set up for the entire property, under the dual leadership of MOHURD and provincial government (IUCN Consultation, 2017). During the nomination process of China Danxia, the planning proposed the establishment of the Protection and Management Committee of China Danxia World Heritage by those six provinces. Additionally, the Experts Committee of China Danxia World Heritage and Advisory Panel were also established. Those above-mentioned plans and programs have been implemented during the nomination process and after the successful inscription of China Danxia World Heritage site (Peng Hua, 2012). The China Danxia World Natural Heritage Protection Committee has held regular working meetings and the site is a good example of collaborative co-management (Shui et al. 2023).

Enforcement of relevant laws and regulations is effective (IUCN Consultation, 2017), however according to confidential consultation, strengthening top-level institutional design and norm-setting is necessary to improve the overall conservation of the site (IUCN Consultation, 2024).

Up to now, the funding for protection, management and development has been sufficient. All components of the World Heritage site are provided with adequate funds (State Party of China, 2010). According to the management authority, the available budget is acceptable but could be further improved to fully meet the management needs of the World Heritage property (State Party of China, 2023).

There are enough qualified staff employed at each component of the property, and training opportunities are available (IUCN, 2010; People’s Republic of China, 2008a; 2008b). World Natural Heritage management bodies from China and/or provinces provide the management staff of the world heritage sites with capacity building and training opportunities every year; some trainings are given by other relative bodies like UNESCO Beijing Office through special projects (Ma Aiping, 2018); and experts are invited to participate in working meetings of the China Danxia World Natural Heritage Protection Committee to give the staff trainings on different topics every year.

Programmes are in place and every component has its own exhibition halls for education and interpretation (People’s Republic of China, 2008a; 2008b). The 2nd of August of every year is celebrated as "China Danxia World Heritage Day", with all component parts holding "Heritage Week" promotional activities (IUCN Consultation, 2017). In recent years, the administrative committee of Mt. Danxiashan has organized and hosted science lectures in more than 50 universities, museums, and institutes on themes including redbeds and Danxia landform, the protection and sustainable development of ‘China Danxia’ World natural Heritages at home and abroad. Additionally, lectures are carried out along with teaching of related course. Through above mentioned activities, the knowledge on Danxia landforms and protection of heritage has been quickly universalized. The China Danxia World Natural Heritage Protection Committee has put great emphasis on organizing a popular science training camp for local people and young college students from all over China and East Asia. There is no doubt that the improvement of environmental conditions also prompted increased awareness of local farmers to maintain sustainable development for their own good. Young college students are more willing to share their knowledge on world nature heritage on popular social media such as wechat and weibo.

Tourism management is guided by management plans and the State Party has introduced Guidelines for Determining the Maximum Capacity of Scenic Spots (LB/T034-2014) to restrict the maximum capacity of tourist attractions (lygh.hqu.edu.cn, 2016). Some interpretation programs and methods could benefit from up-grading and revision. Overall, it is essential to manage the growing pressure from tourism (People’s Republic of China, 2008b; Li Hangfei, 2016). Gradual and potential threat from visitors is hard to perceive. The study of long range impact and forecasting of tourism on the property should be encouraged and supported (if possible, maybe partially funded) by an administrative organization (IUCN Consultation, 2020).

Subsistence lifestyles and scientific uses are supported in and around the property (People’s Republic of China, 2008a). Since ancient times, bamboo has been an integral part of China’s natural landscape, a building block of civilisation, and a carrier of cultural imagination and creativity. Bamboo also sustains the outstanding biodiversity and cultural creativity at many World Heritage sites in China. At the China Danxia World Heritage site in Chishui, home to 87 thousand hectares of bamboo forest, the craft of bamboo carving and weaving is passed down for generations, playing deeply into the cultural identity and daily lives of the local residents. Bamboo’s natural and cultural versatility opens up possibilities in offering new and creative solutions in addressing the challenges that World Heritage sites in China often face, which is the conflict between conservation and development. Through the UNESCO Beijing Office various World Heritage sustainable livelihood activities have been implemented since 2007 in the project framework of “Conservation and Management of World Heritage Sites in China”, Phase IV continues today. More than 500 heritage residents have been directly involved in the project, over 60% are women. In Guizhou, the Chishui bamboo weaving project has encouraged more women to improve their living conditions and realize their personal value through the training and incubation of community leaders (China Philanthropy Times, 2019). The pilot project in Chishui has engaged 75 rural women and men to improve skills in bamboo weaving and enhance living heritage as a source of income (UNESCO, 2023).

Baseline condition assessments and monitoring of change for natural values and for species, as well as for geological disasters and air and water quality, have been established in key areas. Every component part has its own monitoring indicators and departments (People’s Republic of China, 2008a; 2008b; UNEP/WCMC, 2012; State Party of China, 2010). To ensure reactive monitoring and supervision, the monitoring system of Chishui Danxia Property of China Danxia World Natural Heritage was researched and established, including 6 monitoring elements, 31 monitoring modules, and more than 100 monitoring indicators, which roundly and systematically cover all aspects of the Chishui Danxia World Natural Heritage (Xiao Shizhen, et al, 2019). Monitoring reports, for example of Langshan World Heritage of China Danxia, have been developed (Zhang Hui, 2019). Datatisation, standardisation and precision of the protection and management of the site are currently being improved (IUCN Consultation, 2024).

There is a long history of national research in Danxia landscapes and active research programs are in place or planned. The property has a long history of cooperation with the National Danxia Landform Research Society and the Chinese Geographical Society-Red and Danxia Research Working Group. The property also received support from the International Association of Geographers (IAG), and signed a cooperation agreement to establish a research programme. In recent years research cooperation has also been ongoing with the St. Louis University, the University of Oxford, University of Tokyo and other foreign schools, with three doctoral thesis and a master's thesis completed on Danxia landforms. The University of Bergen in Slovakia and the University of Belgrade in Serbia also carry out scientific research on the property. Since the inscription of the property on the World Heritage List, more than 40 articles were published in international journals (for example, Luobin Yan, et al, 2019a, 2019b; Liuqin Chen et al, 2017, 2019; Hongying Li et al, 2018; Peng Hua et al, 2019; Fusheng Guo et al, 2018 and so on) and 50 master's thesis and doctoral thesis 8 were completed (IUCN Consultation, 2017; 2020). However, whilst some of the research content on the components of China Danxia are abundant, others still lack extensive study (IUCN Consultation, 2020).

One focus of the Management System has been addressing threats of over-development. The Ministry of Housing and Urban-rural Development has issued a circular on the protection and management of China Danxia World Natural Heritage Site (The Ministry of Housing and Urban-rural Development, 2010). In addition to the national laws and regulations, each component has its own regulation and/or Measures on Protection and Management. Tourism development has been governed by these protections. To address pollution sewage pipes have been installed (State Party of China, 2023).

Generally, there appear to be adequate long-term legislative, regulatory, institutional and traditional protection and management mechanisms in place for safeguarding the inscribed values of the property at national, provincial and local level (People’s Republic of China, 2008a; 2008b; 2023; IUCN Consultation, 2017).