In the middle of last month, UNESCO warned that it would put the Lascaus caves in France on its "List of World Heritage in Danger" if the French government did not take effective measures by next February in its treatment of gray and black fungi which is destroying the caves` paintings.

Known as the "Sistine Chapel of prehistory", the paintings are under threat, ironically, because they are subject to protection. To control the temperature and humidity in the caves, the French government installed an air control system. Soon after that, the drawings began to be contaminated by mold caused by the fungi.

After reading this news, I cannot help wondering about the conservation of world heritages in our own country. Today, there are 37 Chinese cultural and natural heritages on the UNESCO list.

Feng Jicai, a renowned writer, pointed out that "we are happily destroying our own culture without realizing it". His comments are true in many cases when it comes to protecting our world heritages and other sites of great value.

A typical example could be found in Zhangjiajie, or Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area. After being included in the UNESCO World Heritage list in December 1992, the area attracts more than one million tourists every year, thanks to the title.

Yet, the lack of a correct concept of conservation of the site has directly led to the mass construction of tourist facilities and other buildings.

In 1998, a team sent by UNESCO found Wulingyuan was "overrun by tourist facilities, having a considerable impact on the esthetic qualities of the site".

Such a warning rocked many in our country, especially the local government. It conducted a major clean-up and the removal of inappropriate infrastructure, hotels, cafes and shops inside the park. The flora and fauna in the area is now recovering its original look and life.

Called "heritage", these legacies are from our ancestors and we should keep them in their original state as much as possible, including their surroundings.

However, a frequent mistake in our conservation is imposing too much modern things to these heritages.

Without enough knowledge about heritage conservation, some localities build new structures in the historical sites to make them "look better" or even rebuild them before they apply for the title of "world heritage".

Such conduct is actually damaging these valuable assets although it may be well meant.

Conservation of heritages is a professional and scientific job highly demanding of knowledge. Without expertise, it could turn into damage.

The other two World Heritage sites in our country, Taishan Mountain and Confucius Temple in Qufu, Shandong province, have both suffered from similar incidents along with Zhangjiajie, in which the original sites were destroyed.

Admittedly, heritages could be damaged by nature even without human intervention. Protection in this regard should be prudent and professional. When our current technology cannot help, we should try to protect them till new technologies surface.

Of course, things are improving. The Forbidden City has restricted visitor numbers and Jiuzhaigou, one of the most famous tourist attractions in Sichuan province, has also raised the entrance fee to control tourist numbers.

With patience and wisdom, we can find solutions to settle the contradiction between conservation and exploitation of cultural heritages. And a balance can be achieved, with adequate public awareness and technical support.