The Mount Sanqingshan National Park was recently added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

November 21, KXXV News Channel 25, TX - Native Australian David Sheppard summons the oft-quoted backpacker's mantra, "take only photographs, leave only footprints," as he reflects on the fragility -- and relatively newfound fame -- of the eight natural wonders recently added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. "Natural World Heritage sites represent the best of what nature has to offer," says Sheppard, Head of the Protected Areas Program for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the organization which recommended the sites.

Chosen by a committee of the United Nations' Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), World Heritage sites denote natural and cultural areas recognized for their universal value to humanity. The selection process involves extensive field work by conservation experts who have, in most cases, dedicated their lives to studying the natural world. Therefore, says Sheppard, "It is important to travel in a respectful and low impact manner. We would like tourists to tread lightly when visiting these important natural phenomena."

Though it is popular with local Chinese, the newly added Mount Sanqingshan National Park in the Jiangxi Province of Eastern China is currently virtually unknown to foreigners. But the park boasts suspended walking trails from which hikers can gaze upon the incredibly unique formations of granite rock and highly diverse tree populations in its forest, thereby preventing a high impact from foot traffic and keeping travelers in safe, designated areas.

Regardless of the nomination's intent, tourism will certainly come and when it does, the IUCN will be actively monitoring it. Keeping watch over future numbers at the UNESCO sites is part of IUCN's role, notes Sheppard, who says revealing the sites responsibly to inquisitive, educated travelers is one of the best ways to preserve them. Ultimately, he says, the relationship between the UNESCO natural wonders and those who visit them is a symbiotic one. "We ask that people do their homework before visiting," says Sheppard. "This way, they can truly appreciate the beauty of these eight wonders."