A precious resource that needs continued protection

The scarcity of sinkholes means the well-preserved Hanzhong sinkholes are not only of scientific importance, they are also a resource that can be exploited to boost the local economy - the nearby towns are still poor and tourism might help local residents to improve their livelihoods.

French cave explorer Jean Poutasi who inspected one of the sinkholes in Ningqiang county reportedly called it "the world's most beautiful sinkhole".

However, Li Yichao, a senior engineer at the Shaanxi Geological Investigation Institute, said the government should be careful not to overexploit them.

"It takes water, sand, and wind at least half a million years to form these karst geological landscapes, yet the soft touch of a finger could destroy a piece of stalactite within seconds," he said.

Therefore, he proposes protecting the Hanzhong sinkholes by allowing access to only some of the sinkholes and limiting the number of visitors.

That's the principle currently advocated by those in charge of management of Hanzhong sinkholes. Currently the plan of how best to exploit the Hanzhong sinkholes is still being discussed and only researchers have access at present.

Lei Mingxiong, deputy director of Shaanxi Provincial Department of Land and Resources, said Hanzhong sinkholes are just part of the natural attractions as there are also karst formations, caves, gorges, waterfalls, and wetlands. They provide rich, precious tourism resources and can all be utilized to promote tourism throughout the whole Shaanxi province.

Yuan Daoxian, an academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences as well as a leading figure in domestic geological research, visited the Hanzhong sinkholes in December. "The natural conditions surrounding Hanzhong sinkholes are preserved quite well," he was quoted by Shaanxi Daily, "much better than some previously discovered ones."

But Yuan also noticed that some land near the Hanzhong sinkholes is being used for agriculture. He emphasized that much will need to be done to protect the integrity of Hanzhong sinkholes.