Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area

Wulingyuan is home to about 55,000 inhabitants, most of whom are Tujia, one of the 55 ethnic minority groups in China (the others being primarily Miao or Bai) (Li et al., 2023). There has been significant wide-spread disturbance of the residential community through re-location and re–housing (State Party of China, 2002). Negative perceptions of relocation and resettlement are common among the residents (Wang Kai, et al., 2017). In 2019 and in 2021, the World Heritage Committee requested the State Party of China to ensure that any such programmes are in line with the with the 2015 Policy Document on the Integration of a Sustainable Development Perspective into the Processes of the Convention and ensure effective consultation, fair compensation, access to social benefits and skills training, and the preservation of cultural rights (World Heritage Committee, 2019, 2021). Concern has also been expressed amongst the communities that traditional cultural practices and values are being lost (Xiang, 2011; Li et al., 2021). However, the State Party report submitted to the World heritage Committee states that traditional culture of relocated residents, including food customs and traditional festival activities etc were fully respected and reserved in the places of immigration (State Party of China, 2018). The State Party has also reported a series of policies on compensation, resettlement, production and living security, and proposing measures to benefit the people. To date, more than 95% of the residents have expressed satisfaction and voluntarily signed a relocation agreement (IUCN Consultation, 2020). Nonetheless, the site's protected area status and rapid touristification led to the replacement of traditional place meanings—once rooted in agriculture, ancestral customs, and spiritual attachment—by values centered on tourism-related utility. This shift in landscape values by local communities weakened the emotional and spiritual bonds that once underpinned local identity and reflects local adaptation to new regulations, restricted land use, and the socio-economic realities of a tourism-driven environment. These changes, therefore, cannot be seen purely as cultural erosion, but also as pragmatic responses to ensure livelihood sustainability. Adaptive co-management planning that pays attention to residents’ diverse and changing place meanings is essential, even though it may be difficult to implement in heavily touristified areas (Li et al., 2023). Engaging local communities in the protection and management of heritage sites is therefore considered a key action to address current conservation issues, as by involving residents in conservation efforts, the government can build support and awareness for the site's significance, while also reducing the potential for conflicts between residents' activities and conservation work (IUCN consultation, 2024).

Besides the laws and regulations of China, on January 1, 2001, China’s first local regulation for protecting world natural heritage, the Regulations on Protecting Wulingyuan World Natural Heritage Property in Hunan Province, were officially approved by the people’s congress of Hunan Province and its publication and implementation represents that the protection of Wulingyuan natural World Heritage is now represented in legal text (State Party of China, 2015). The Regulations on the Protection of Wulingyuan World Natural Heritage was revised again in 2024.

Effectiveness of management has been hindered in the past by a myriad of government planning, policy-making and management agencies leading to disparate and un-coordinated goal setting and management direction (IUCN/UNESCO, 1998; State Party of China, 2002; Huang Liangbin, 2006; Zijun Tang, 2011). However, The Administration of Zhangjiajie Wulingyuan Scenic Area and National Forest Park Administration has now been set up, administering the management of the property in coordination with the Wulingyuan District People's Government and is reported to have significantly improved the effectiveness of management system, such that it is in an effective state (State Party of China, 2018). The inclusion of local communities in decision making, as well as local people’s landscape values and sense of place into governance has been considered crucial for effective and sustainable management (Li et al., 2023).

Multiple agency management and complex bureaucratic systems have previously been problematic. In January 2015, Zhangjiajie municipal government developed the "Zhanjiajie Wulingyuan scenic area management system reform work programme", and joined the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park Management Division and the Wulingyuan Scenic Area Administration into one office and is taking measures to rationalize the Wulingyuan Scenic Area management system and operational mechanism (IUCN consultation, 2017). These are important steps towards improving integration of the property into regional and national planning systems. In March 2018, China completed the reform and adjustment on administrative authorities for protected areas at the national level and the Ministry of Natural Resources of the People's Republic of China was founded, representing a major change and improvement in the history of China's protected area management. So far, all the protected areas in China have been subjected to uniform management by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration (National Park Service) affiliated to the Ministry of Natural Resources, fully reflecting the strong emphasis on the Chinese government's unified and coordinated management on different types of natural protected areas. The Overall Plan of Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area (2022-2035) is now being coordinated with the other protected areas and the territorial spatial plan in Wulingyuan, thus, once implemented, it should ensure effective incorporation and recognition in the national territorial spatial planning and management (State Party of China, 2022).

The boundaries of the site are of some concern, largely due to the fact that they were delineated at the time of inscription in 1991 based on the now outdated boundaries of the Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area (State Party of China, 2015). Indeed, the State Party, using the latest technology to carry out a detail survey, has found that the original boundaries in some patches are not well matched with the integrity of the landscape (State Party of China, 2023). Additionally, insufficient or lack of buffer zones in some parts of the WH site (State Party of China, 2015) cannot mitigate the negative impacts of pollutants effectively and therefore may require review in order to ensure the outstanding universal value of the property is maintained and effectively managed, and the protection of the property is not weakened but strengthened after the national protected area reform in Wulingyuan.

Wulingyuan was inscribed on the World Heritage List by the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO in 1992 based on criterion (VII). In 2004, it joined the UNESCO World Geoparks Network, named Zhangjiajie World Geopark. Wulingyuan World Natural Heritage and the Zhangjiajie UNESCO World Geopark are under the same management system (State Party of China, 2023), i.e. under the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Hunan Provincial People's Government (Hunan Provincial Forestry Department), to Zhangjiajie Municipal People's Government (Zhangjiajie Municipal Forestry Bureau) and Wulingyuan District People's Government (Natural Resources and Forestry Bureau of Wulingyuan District). The Administration Bureau of Wulingyuan Scenic Area and the Management Office of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park have officially merged to form the Administration Bureau of Zhangjiajie Wulingyuan Scenic Area and National Forest Park, resolving the issue of multiple management and significantly enhancing management efficiency.

The State Party has made progress in implementing the decisions and recommendations of the World Heritage Committee related to Wulingyuan. Regrets have been recently expressed by the World Heritage Committee that the State Party did not submit the 2005-2020 Overall Plan of Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area, and the Committee requested the State Party to submit the revised draft Plan to the World Heritage Centre for review as soon as it is available (World Heritage Committee, 2019, 2021).

In May, 2014, Wulingyuan District officially launched the bicycle tour project to the world, promoting four quality cycling routes around Wulingyuan, with a one-way cycling route length of about 6 to 15 kilometers. The implementation of the project takes into account the carbon emission reduction requirements in the Policy Document on the Impacts of Climate Change on World Heritage Properties (State Party of China, 2023). In 2025, the People's Government of Wulingyuan District, Zhangjiajie City has issued the "Implementation Plan for Carbon Peaking in Wulingyuan District, Zhangjiajie City", and is implementing the "Seven Major Actions for Carbon Peaking", integrating the strategic orientation and target requirements of carbon peaking throughout the entire process and all aspects of Wulingyuan's economic and social development.

The property is managed by the Administrative Bureau of Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area assisted by several other resource management agencies (State Party of China, 2023). The management plan "Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area (2005-2020)” is now outdated. While its revision was expected at the end of the implementation period in 2020, delays also due to the COVID-19 pandemic occurred. Currently, the revised “Overall Plan of Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area (2022-2035)” has not been finalized yet. Main contents were finished, however revisions are still ongoing as China is still promoting the establishment and optimization of the national natural protected area system, and the revised Overall Plan is now being coordinated with the other protected areas and the territorial spatial plan in Wulingyuan, to ensure effective incorporation and recognition of the property in the national territorial spatial planning and management. The World Heritage Committee expressed its regret that the State Party did not submit the 2005-2020 Overall Plan of Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area and also requested the State Party to submit the revised draft Plan to the World Heritage Centre for review as soon as it is available (World Heritage Committee, 2019, 2021).

The local government carefully enforces national environmental protection laws and regulations, to ensure that laws are observed, including relevant prosecution for those acting contrary to these regulations (State Party of China, 2015, 2023), with the establishment of the Wulingyuan Scenic Area Law Enforcement Bureau gradually improving law enforcement at the site (IUCN consultation, 2017).

The available budget is considered acceptable, however also a limiting factor to effectively address identified conservation issues (State Party of China, 2023; IUCN consultation, 2024). Running costs are funded by local governmental sources (State Party of China, 2023). Revenue generation from tourist operations is very significant to the site (State Party of China, 2002, 2023; Wei Xiang, 2011), with the people’s government at Wulingyuan District and Zhangjiajie Forest Park’s management bureau receiving RMB 49.35 Yuan and RMB 44.65 Yuan respectively from each ticket sold in order to fund management activities. Operational taxation and charge of companies in the property and buffer zones adds additional revenue for these purposes as well as other sources such as the World Heritage Fund, which had been used previously as emergency aid; together with municipal, provincial and national investment. Private enterprises in the property include Tianzishan Cable Car Company, Bailong Elevator Company and Huangshizhai Cable Car Company, who have also made contribution to the protection and management (State Party of China, 2015).

The property is managed by the Administrative Bureau of Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area assisted by several other resource management agencies. The Office of Heritage Protection was established in 2000 as the operational agency for managing the property and subsequently the Zhangjiajie, Tianzishan, Suoxiyu and Yangjiajie Scenic Area Offices and Protection Stations were established. Staff numbers have increased from approx. 500 in 2002 to almost 700 in 2011, but training requires improvement (State Party of China, 2002; Wei Xiang 2011). It is noted that capacity building has been a focus of management for many years with much work being done on personnel training and heritage protection (IUCN consultation, 2017). In 2017, Wulingyuan became one of the two pilot projects of UNESCO “World Heritage and Sustainable Tourism”. The project provides on-site training and is an important example of the implementation of the World Heritage Strategy for Capacity Building.

Public education has been a focus of management for many years, with reportedly successful results (IUCN consultation, 2017). Zhangjiajie World Geopark Museum/Wulingyuan World Natural Heritage Exhibition Center has been upgraded to provide better interpretation and education for tourists (Zhangjiajie Global Geopark Museum, 2019; State Party of China, 2022). However, community engagement, also through the form of education programs, outreach initiatives, and opportunities for residents to participate in conservation projects, has been identified as a key action needed to improve the property’s management effectiveness in addressing key conservation issues, related to the shift of landscape use and perception (IUCN consultation, 2024, Li et al., 2023).

Tourism growth and development remain the most important and problematic areas for management of the property tourism growth will likely exacerbate this problem. In April 2017, Wulingyuan was selected as a pilot project of the UNESCO World Heritage and Sustainable Tourism Project in China and jointly developed the Wulingyuan World Natural Heritage Demonstration with the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Research Center (Tongji University). The project was completed by the end of 2018, and contributed to improving sustainable tourism management of the property (State Party of China, 2022). Quality improvement projects of some of the existing tourism facilities have been approved, including: quality improvement of tourist toilets; quality improvement of path handrails and quality improvement of Zhangjiajie Global Geopark Museum (State Party of China, 2020, 2022).The Sustainable Tourism and Development Strategy includes provisions to improve resilience to risks in its development model by incorporating local community participation and regional economic development. However, noting that visitation to the property was increasing year-on-year before 2020, and recalling previous decisions of the Committee, the fact that it is unclear how tourism carrying capacity limits are calculated in order to ensure that visitation does not negatively impact the property remains a source of concern (UNESCO, 2021). The local governments have taken a series of measures to strengthen the management of tourists. The Zhangjiajie Wulingyuan Scenic Area and National Forest Park Administration adheres to the core of "caring for tourists", continuously deepens the "one-stop" service model of "five officers in one" (everyone is a cleaner, communicator, guide, rescuer and safety officer), conducts multiple training sessions, and pays attention to the humanization and convenience of tourism services, effectively enhancing tourists' satisfaction (IUCN Consultation, 2025). Overall, while there is a demonstrated positive impact on the sustainability of tourism at the property, balancing tourism development and conservation remains a key priority for effective management.

With the accelerating of tourism development in recent few years, the Wulingyuan World Natural Heritage Site has mitigated its agricultural pollution and residents’ agricultural activities are causing less damage to the environment (State Party of China, 2015). A few farmland landscapes that are of important aesthetic and cultural value have been reserved and restored (State Party of China, 2023), including the original architectural form and traditional farming activities of farmers living in the property for generations. Pesticides and chemical fertilizers are forbidden in the property (State Party of China, 2015).

Monitoring system for environmental conditions, air and water quality, noise pollution, vegetation and ecosystems, animal habitats and species, pests and geological risks has improved markedly in recent years (State Party of China, 2022; IUCN Consultation, 2020; UNESCO, 2021). In order to protect natural resources, Wulingyuan has established a set of monitoring systems, with the participated monitoring units including the Forestry Bureau, tourism companies, environmental protection transportation companies, construction bureau, park management office and environmental protection bureau (State Party of China, 2015). Wulingyuan District has launched the first phase of the Wulingyuan District All-Domain Video Network Application Platform (Smart Forestry) project, comprehensively strengthening the monitoring and protection of ecological resources, promoting the integrated and intelligent digital Wulingyuan through "air, space and ground" monitoring technology, and comprehensively enhancing the emergency response capabilities and levels of forest fire prevention and control.

There is an active research program and the results of research are taken into account for improved management (State Party of China, 2023). In 2004, Wulingyuan was accepted as the first batch of the UNESCO Geo-park and the intensity of scientific research in the site has gradually strengthened. In April 2011, the Zhangjiajie Landform Joint Research Center, jointly set up by park management committee and IGSNRR (Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS), officially announced its establishment. More recently, Wulingyuan has also intensified the biodiversity research occurring in the site (State Party of China, 2015). At the invitation of the relevant departments of Wulingyuan District, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Jishou University and others carried out biodiversity surveys and research in Wulingyuan. Still, more scientific research on the property is deemed necessary, especially the study on the karst geology and geomorphology, caves and the interaction between karst and quartz sandstone landform, so as to provide scientific basis for the protection and management of the property (State Party of China, 2023).

Management has shown a reasonably effective response to external threats, in particular regarding water pollution. The ongoing implementation of the "River Chief" policy, strengthened river and reservoir protection, widespread use of wetland sewage treatment systems, and regular water quality monitoring reflect proactive efforts. Further integration with the national protected area system, anticipated through the revised Overall Plan, is expected to enhance this effectiveness.

The most pressing concern is the control of expanding tourism development. In the past, management authorities have struggled to maintain a balance between conserving the property's outstanding natural values and accommodating mass tourism. Encouragingly, recent efforts have aimed to address this imbalance, with some progress in mitigating tourism-related impacts. Nevertheless, sustained action is required. In particular, the development of a comprehensive visitor management strategy is essential—one that accounts for the evolving livelihoods and shifting landscape values of local communities.