WHC Nomination Documentation File Name: 1001.pdf UNESCO Region: ASIA AND THE PACIFIC __________________________________________________________________________________________________ SITE NAME: Mount Qincheng and the Dujiangyan Irrigation System DATE OF INSCRIPTION: 2nd December 2000 STATE PARTY: CHINA CRITERIA: C (ii) (iv) (vi) DECISION OF THE WORLD HERITAGE COMMITTEE: Criterion (ii): The Dujiangyan Irrigation System, begun in the 2nd century BCE, is a major landmark in the development of water management and technology, and is still discharging its functions perfectly. Criterion (iv): The immense advances in science and technology achieved in ancient China are graphically illustrated by the Dujiangyan Irrigation System. Criterion (vi):The Temples of Mount Qingcheng are closely associated with the foundation of Taoism, one of the most influential religions of East Asia over a long period of history. The Delegate of Hungary recommended the application of cultural criterion (v) for this site as it is an outstanding example of traditional land-use marked by the irrigation system which is representative of a culture. ICOMOS was requested to examine this point, particularly for sites in Asia, but it maintained that in this case, the site's outstanding universal value could not be justified on the basis of cultural criterion (v). The Committee discussed the question of inscription under natural criteria, a proposal for the construction of a dam by the water conservancy project and the issue of sacred mountains in China. The Committee noted that Mt Qingcheng is considered to meet natural criteria (ii) and (iv). However, it decided to defer the nomination under natural criteria and requested that IUCN and the World Heritage Centre clarify with the State Party the following matters relating to the integrity of the site: the management regime in the buffer zone; the completion of the Overall Plan for the management of Longxi-Hongkou Nature Reserve, and a commitment to its early implementation; the inclusion within the plan of arrangements to deal with long term funding, the development of adequate trained staff, satisfactory controls over tourism development and activities, and programmes for monitoring, research, education and public awareness and information on the water conservancy project and the possible impacts of the dam proposal. The Delegate of China explained that the proposal for a new dam was only a proposition at this stage and the authorities were willing to invite foreign experts to inspect the site. The Committee encouraged the State Party to consider: (a) the merits of enlarging the site to include other Giant Panda areas, such as Wolong Nature Reserve, physically linked to the site; (b) initiating a wider review of the potential which exists in China for other natural World Heritage sites with consideration for a workshop focusing on possible boundaries for an enlarged site as well as to identify other sites of biodiversity value in the region. The Chairperson also recalled that a workshop on sacred mountains in Asia will be hosted by the Japanese Government. BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS Construction of the Dujianyang Irrigation system began in the 3rd century BC, and it continues to control the waters of the Minjiang river and distribute it to the fertile farmland of the Chengdu plains. Mount Qingcheng was the birthplace of Taoism, which is celebrated in a series of ancient temples. 1.b State, Province or Region: Dujiangyan City, Sichuan Province 1.d Exact location: 30° 52' N, 103° 25' E 1 17 REPORT OUTLINE 1. A General Survey of Mt. Qingcheng-Dujiangyan Heritage Mt. Qingcheng-Dujiangyan Heritage zone is situated in the northwest of Chengdu plain, Sichuan, P. R. China. Located between 1030 25' 45” and 1030 38'15” E and from 300 52'29” to 310 01'48” N, the nomination covers an area of 54,749.5 hectares, among which, the core area accounts for 17,891.5 hectares, and the buffer zone 36,858 hectares. On the basis of the characteristics of the resources in the reservation, we classify Longxi - Hongkou as the biodiversity nature preserve, and Mt. Qingcheng - Dujiangyan as the natural and cultural preserve. The Longxi - Hongkou Biodiversity Nature Preserve is an important habitat for rare and endangered animals like Ailuropoda melanoleuea, as well as the major production area of rare, ancient and relic plant species as Davidia involucrata, Cercidiphyllum japonicum and Tetracentron sinense. There might be the complete and most typical vertical zonation of vegetation in the same latitude zone around the world and in the north section of Hengduanshan mountains. Mt. Qingcheng natural and cultural reservation is the birthplace of Chinese Taoism and Tianshi Tao Sect. It is the only region in mid-subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests around the world, with Phoebe zhennan, the single-species dominant community and the multi-species dominant community of Machilus pingii, Phoebe hui and Castanopsis carlesii. It is a representative coordination of humans and nature. Built in 256 B.C, Dujiangyan is the world's most scientifically-designed and well- preserved ecological water conservancy project for over 2000 years, which is still in good operation characterized by combination of damless diversion and nature. In consideration of the above-mentioned striking significance and universal values of the natural and cultural resources of Mt. Qingcheng and Dujiangyan, Chinese government proposes Mt. Qingcheng and Dujiangyan to be included in the list of world natural and cultural mixed heritage, so as to be considered as the shared treasure of human beings and to be well preserved by mankind forever. 2.The Value of Mt. Qingcheng - Dujiangyan Heritage 2.1 Values of the Natural Heritage 2.1.1 In the nomination, there lies the primitive forest ecosystem in the same latitude in other parts of the world and the north section of Hengduanshan mountains and grows the most typical and complete vertical zonation of vegetation in mid- subtropical area. The summit in the heritage zone, Mt. Guangguang, 4,582 meters high above sea level, is 3,882 meters above Dujiangyan city proper with an elevation of 700 meters, It has 7 apparent vertical zonations which increase progressively by elevation, they are: (a). 700m--1500m Mid- subtropical evergreen broadleaf forest (b) 1500m--2000m Mountain evergreen deciduous and broadleaf mixed forest 2 17 (c) 2000m--2400m Mountain evergreen coniferous, deciduous and broadleaf mixed forest (d) 2400m--3400m Subalpine coniferous forest (e) 3400m--3800m Subalpine shrubland (f) 3800m--4000m Alpine meadow (g) 4000m--4582m Alpine flowstone belt with sparse vegetation Each vegetation belt contains a number of vegetation types and can be classified into 6 vegetation types and 24 formations, which include most of the types of vegetation in central subtropical system in China, as well it is the only place in the world where you may find the single-species dominant community Phoebe zhennan and the multi- species dominant community of Machilus pingii, Phoebe hui and Castanposis carlesii. Therefore, the vertical zonation of Mt. Guangguang is the most complete and typical in the north section of Hengduanshan mountains and even in the same latitude zone around the globe. A Comparative Study Between Mt. Qingcheng – Dujiangyan and Mt. Wuyi , Mt. E'mei in the Similar Latitude Inside China: Elevat Plant Amount of Biological Species Forest Remark Name ion Zona- Ecosystem (m) tion Total Giant Animal Plan Primit Amou Panda Species t ive nt of (Ind.) Spec Famil species ies y and Genus 4582 7 14012 Over 11000 3012 rich Complete, Exclude Mt. 50 rich, Lower Qing diverse Plant Cheng Dujian g Yan Mt. 2158 5 7998 None 5110 2888 Ordina Complete Exclude Wuyi ry Diverse Lower Plant Mt. 3099 5 5500 None 2300 3200 Ordina Complete Exclude E'mei ry Diverse Lower Plant Let us compare the property area with mountains at about the same latitude in other parts of the world. The Longs in the American Rocky Mountains is 4,345 meters, Elbert is 4,399 meters, Blanca 4,365 meters: they are all shorter than Mt. Guangguang; what’s more, subtropical evergreen broadleaf forests cannot grow as their basic belt and vertical belt structures are relatively simple. At about 300 northern latitude in north Mexico, Peak Penyanevada is 4,054 meters. This much less elevation does not allow alpine and sub- alpine belts to develop as Mt. Guangguang does. In Africa the tallest mountain, the Toubkal in Morocco, is 4,165 meters, whose vegetation and vertical belts are absolutely not the match of Mt. Guangguang. In Europe, Mt. Blanc of the Alps is 4,807 meters, a better altitude than Mt. Guangguang except that the basic belt is not broadleaf and that the belt structure is not as diversified. 2.1.2 The nomination is not only the habitat of the endangered rare animal giant 3 17 pandas, but the only area to have set up a Green Corridor for them. It is the area with concentration of rare, ancient, relic mid-subtropical plants such as Daridia involucrata, Cercidiphyllum japonicum and Tetracentron sinense. The nomination is where a wide range of geographical elements meet and transit, generating a sharply differentiated, complex ecological region: a meeting place for species originated from various other areas as well as for its own. Soaring mountains and deep valleys have created complex living conditions favorable to the differentiation of species, making this area the cradle of different species. The property area, with its concentration of a diversity of living things, is one