Abstract
A key issue in the study of heritage tourism is reconciling the interests of heritage conservation and tourism promotion or an emphasis on the protection of heritage sites versus the utilization of these same sites for economic development purposes. How to preserve the past while fostering the consumption of this? More to the point, how to preserve the multiplicity of the past when heritage becomes a development resource?
This chapter explores the economic foundations of heritage projects in China. It explains how “heritage” is classified and discusses the implications for placing national and world heritage sites under the domain of the Ministry of Construction, particularly in regard to tourism promotion. The decentralization of the management of heritage sites to local government units has also sharply impacted sites, as most of China’s heritage sites are locally funded and consequently are viewed as revenue sources. The outsourcing of services and in some cases overall management of heritage sites raise serious questions about the balance between cultural preservation and nature conservation on the one hand and the commercialization of sites for profit on the other. Even in cases of serious potential harm to the integrity of a site, protection may not follow. This illustrates the declining influence of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage (SACH) and raises questions about whether the public good is always served by decentralization in all areas of governance.
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- 1.
Half price admission is offered to students under the age of 18, retirees under the age of 70, Buddhist pilgrims who have official letters of introduction from their home province, and handicapped people. Admission is free for seniors over the age of 70 years, armed forces personnel, disabled veterans, and retired military personnel with special retirement privileges. Pricing for admissions to cultural heritage sites is often determined by provincial government agencies as well as from feedback from public hearings. For instance, the decision to offer discount admission for students was first made by the State Development and Reform Commission, although each provincial Development and Reform Commission sets the admission price for its own sites.
- 2.
Tickets for the Forbidden City cost ¥60 and the Temple of Heaven ¥35; Zhoukoudian, Kunming’s Western Hills, and the Jade Buddha Temple cost ¥30.
- 3.
The listed admissions are for the peak season which covers March 1 to November 30. Off season is from December 1 to the end of February, when admission is reduced to ¥150. Discounted and free admissions are granted to various groups of the population.
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Shepherd, R.J., Yu, L. (2013). Economics of Heritage Management. In: Heritage Management, Tourism, and Governance in China. SpringerBriefs in Archaeology(), vol 2. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5918-7_5
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