No filming will be allowed at Jiuzhaigou, a world natural heritage site in southwest China's Sichuan Province, according to the Jiuzhaigou Administration.

File photo: Jiuzhai Valley

Last year, Chinese film director Chen Kaige was reported for littering and destroying vegetation while shooting his film The Promise at a scenic nature reserve in the southwestern province of Yunnan. Following the media exposure, the Jiuzhaigou Administration did a strict inspection of all its scenic areas and issued a regulation to rigidly restrict filming within the scenic spots.
 
Last year, 33 world heritage sites in China signed a joint declaration, saying that environmental protection would be regarded as their top priority. The utilization and development of these places would be under the supervision of the public and the media and all commercial activities, including filming, done on any world heritage sites must be made public. 
 
"Many local departments and authorities began working out measures aimed at protecting the natural environment of scenic spots in China. We are also making appropriate rules and regulations," said Feng Gang, Deputy Director of Jiuzhaigou Administration.

Real danger to the land or even the irreversible destruction of the environment are some of the problems the world heritage sites in China are facing, according to experts with the Ministry of Construction.

(China.org.cn by Yang Xi, December 24, 2007)