A senior official with the Ministry of Construction yesterday named and shamed the management teams at 10 of the country's top scenic spots for their bad practices.

The places could lose their national status, and the privileges that go with the designation, unless they rectify their problems in time, Li Dongxu, the director of the ministry's department of urban construction, and head of the office overseeing the management of scenic spots nationwide, told reporters in Beijing.

The attractions suffer from chaotic management, inadequate planning and rampant illegal construction within their areas, he said.

Li cited a resort in the Three Gorges area, known for its beautiful setting beside the Yangtze River, as one place plagued by such problems.

The resort's management committee loaned all its rights and responsibilities, including income from ticket sales and routine management, to a private firm.

"Income from ticket sales is drawn from the tourist sites' resources," he said.

"It belongs to the government and should be used to benefit the attractions, not line the pockets of private companies."

The ministry had sent repeated warnings to the resort, but to no avail, Li said.

The resort could have its title removed if it fails an inspection next June, he said.

Yesterday's warning came after a crackdown on the management of scenic spots launched this year.

Li said nine other spots have been asked to improve their management practices, ahead of their reassessment at the end of June.

By that time, all management teams must submit a comprehensive plan on how they will protect their areas.

Of the country's 187 scenic spots, 144 have already submitted their plans, with 97 approved, Li said.

"The blind pursuit of economic gains and neglect of natural resources are behind the destruction of non-renewable assets like these," he said.

Ministry figures show that over the past five years, more than 1.4 million sq m of illegally constructed buildings have been demolished and 24,000 illegal stalls within these attractions have been stopped from operating.

But the revenue from ticket sales is far from sufficient to cover the cost of protecting the areas, especially for some remote areas, Li said.

"We encourage investment from private firms and other groups, under the supervision of government departments," he said.

Central and local governments will gradually strengthen financial support for the development of national scenic famous spots in undeveloped areas.

(China Daily December 27, 2007)