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Beijing's World Heritage Sites Facing Financial Problems

Beijing's five UNESCO World Heritage List sites are now short of a staggering 3.2 billion yuan or US$320 million for much needed preservation work.

The five sites -- the Temple of Heaven, Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Ming Tombs and the Great Wall -- are seeking major renovations before the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Damaged by time and exposure to the elements, the ancient structures are in need of constant maintenance.

The Summer Palace, for example, is mostly made of wood and requires small-scale maintenance every five years and major reconstruction every ten years. The Temple of Heaven and the Forbidden City are also facing the same problem.

All five World Heritage sites rely on ticket revenues to support maintenance costs, but the revenues are too little to fund the much-needed work.

Part of the problem reportedly lies in poor financial management. Additionally, different sites belong to different governmental organizations and some are required to pay government departments a lump sum every year.

In order to reduce financial burdens, all five Beijing World Heritage sites have chosen to raise ticket prices by 6 percent to 230 percent.

Public feedback was, however, disappointing. Many disapproved of the suggested price hikes and called for a better management system, improved laws to protect World Heritage List sites, and more government transparency.