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In martial arts stories, a young man overcomes all kinds of hardship to get something. It could be an ancient scroll, or a sword, or simply a title. Once he has it he has all the power in the world and it will kowtow to him. Tourist attractions in China also strive for such a holy grail. It's called a "World Heritage Site" listing and is granted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, more commonly known as UNESCO. With a plaque bearing the title, the place will reap tourist yuan. Just this week, it was announced that Mount Wutai has made the cut, becoming the 38th Chinese site so honored. On the other hand, Mount Songshan failed to get into the last round of competition, which means it'll be a few more years before it joins that exclusive club. If I had a chance to console Shi Yongxin, abbot of Shaolin Temple, nestled in Mount Songshan, I'd tell him: "Don't be sad. That title means nothing to you. You already have everything the title can bring. Let the minor players duke it out for it." A place is designated as a World Heritage Site, according to UNESCO, to protect its natural and cultural value. It implies it is "endangered" and should receive special care. In its promotional material, the World Heritage List is also called the "Danger List". This has been interpreted by many local officials in China as "the list for development". I've visited more than half of China's sites on the list, some right before they got the title, some shortly after and others when the shouting had all died down. They all share one thing: Tourism takes off like a rocket with what UNESCO calls the "inscription". | 
