The Third International Conference on World Natural Heritage is scheduled for Jiuzhaigou, well-known for its habitat of rare giant pandas in southwest China's Sichuan Province, in October.

More than 600 participants from around the world are expected to take part in the three-day meeting with a view to enhancing protection of natural heritage sites, according to the Sichuan Tourism Administration.

The Second Conference on World Natural Heritage was held in Aomori, Japan, in 2005. Focused on such issues as conserving natural heritage sites and international cooperation for the survival of humankind and the world, the meeting attracted delegates from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and 24 countries and regions which have world natural heritage sites.

There were 162 world natural heritages sited by 2006. Jiuzhaigou was listed as a world heritage by UNESCO in 1992.

(Xinhua News Agency February 20, 2007)