Authorties in central China are facing questions over why they spent 450 million yuan (US$67 million) to get a county included on the UNESCO World Heritage list while its residents are still struggling in poverty.

Villagers in Xinning County, Hunan Province, were overjoyed in August to receive global recognition for Lang Mountain. But elation turned to concern when it emerged that achieving this status had cost so much -- including bank loans of almost 155 million yuan, as the county's annual revenue was barely 200 million yuan until 2008.

The county has long relied on government loans and subsidiaries to cover more than 80 percent of its expenditure, reported China Youth Daily.

In 2006, it applied to join the World Heritage list as one of the six areas of China's Danxia Landform, a rugged landscape characterized by steep red cliffs, caves and erosional landforms.

The government tried to finance the bid through public funds, private donations, bank loans and government subsidiaries.

Bank loans were approved after the government mortgaged some of its land, the newspaper said.

After the bid was successful, more money was spent on infrastructure and entertaining members of the media.

Zhou Jianxin, head of tourism management in Xinning, told reporters that upgrading infrastructure took up nearly 95 percent of the money. He gave the example of a road, which cost 100 million yuan, connecting the scenic spot with other remote villages.

Many officials believe the outlay will provide an economic return for the region in the long term.

(Shanghai Daily September 28, 2010)