Sichuan Province in southwest China has applied to have its Qingcheng-Mountain-Dujiangyan scenic spot, 70 kilometers northwest of the provincial capital of Chengdu, included on UNESCO's World Heritage List.

The application has been approved by the State Council and China's National Commission for UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). The 5,4700-ha scenic spot is a state-level tourist site that is under state protection.

Qingcheng Mountain is one of the country's four famous Taoist mountains and 2,250-year-old Dujiangyan neighboring the mountain is the world's oldest functioning irrigation project, which still irrigates some 660,000 hectares of farmland.

To ensure a success for the application, the Ministry of Construction and the provincial government of Sichuan have jointly organized a group of experts to map out an environment protection and administration plan for the site.

Since China joined UNESCO in protecting world culture and natural heritage 14 years ago, some 22 scenic sites and cultural centers have been included on the World Heritage List, ranking tenth in the world. They include the Great Wall, the Palace Museum, the terra cotta warriors of the First Emperor of the Qin Dynasty, and the Huangshan Mountain. (Xinhua)