Hong Kong seeks UN World Heritage status for geological site

Hong Kong is hoping to clinch Unesco World Heritage status for a 49-sq km geological site which boasts the high-rise city's most dramatic land and seascapes, officials confirmed Wednesday.

The site, already designated China's 183rd national geo-park, includes one of the world's biggest collection of hexagonal rock columns formed by volcanic activity 140 million years ago.

Government and tourism officials are now planning to promote the park overseas to attract visitors and to seek the World Heritage status from the UN.

There are currently 890 Unesco sites around the world which are preserved for their heritage and natural value. They include the Great Wall of China, Australia's Great Barrier Reef, the Pyramids of Giza, Victoria Falls in southern Africa and the prehistoric stone monument of Stonehenge in England.

Speaking at a ceremony to celebrate the site being designated a geo-park, Chief Executive Donald Tsang called the city's geological resources unique and world-class and vowed to redouble efforts to preserve and promote them to the rest of the world.

"In the future, I hope that when people think about Hong Kong, they will not only admire our skyscrapers and be attracted to our busy shopping areas, but also the unique geological formations and natural beauty of Hong Kong that we proudly present to locals and overseas tourists alike," Tsang said.

Contrary to many people's assumptions, the city of seven million is not all high-rise developments and urban areas. More than 70 percent of its 1,078 sq km area is countryside, much of which is densely foliated and mountainous.

Last updated on Nov 4^th, 2009 at 12:13 pm IST--DPA