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The ancient town of Lijiang in Yunnan province is resorting to roadblocks to ensure tourists do not escape paying a protection fee for visiting the popular site.

Lijiang, named a world heritage site in 1997, saw some 6.3 million tourists last year, putting pressure on the town's capacity and maintenance.

Since 2001, the town's protection bureau has been collecting a so-called "ancient town maintenance fee" from tourists, but many are finding ways to avoid coughing up the 80 yuan ($11.70).

"Many tourists can avoid paying the fee, because the ancient town of Lijiang does not have city walls," said He Shiyong, director of the town's protection bureau.

Some 2.26 million tourists paid 180 million yuan last year, but 4.09 million others didn't pay the fee. In order to cover that loss, this month the bureau began writing tourist's names and ID numbers on receipts to prove the fee has been paid by individuals.

"As our next step, we will set up posts at all 14 roads entering the ancient town as well as in six tourist sites, to check tourists and urge them to pay the fee," He said.

The measure immediately aroused objections from travelers. A tourist from Qingdao, surnamed Li, told China Daily that tourists pay a lot at local shops, inns and bars, which are much more expensive than elsewhere, and the Lijiang government could benefit by levying taxes.

Another tourist told China Daily that Lijiang should not charge the fee, because as a world heritage site it already receives funds from the United Nations World Heritage Foundation and the central government for the town's protection.

Declining to reveal the amount Lijiang receives from the central government and the UN, He said the bureau spent 1.3 billion yuan to improve infrastructure, demolish uncoordinated buildings and clean up the old town over the past 12 years.

Though some 700 million yuan was collected between 2001 and 2008, 40 percent of that is used for debt repayment, 30 to 50 percent is allocated to maintain the environment and infrastructure, and 10 percent is set aside for a special fund to protect folk culture, he said.

"The bureau is now in debt, owing 640 million yuan to banks, and having to pay banks 4.8 million yuan in interest each month," He said.

Lijiang is famous for its well-retained townscape that blends elements from several cultures over many centuries, and an ancient water-supply system of great complexity and ingenuity that still functions effectively today.

Questions:

1. How can many tourists avoid paying the fee, according to He Shiyong?

2. What did the bureau begin doing this month to prove tourists paid the fee?

3. What is Lijiiang famous for?

Answers:

1. Because the ancient town of Lijiang does not have city walls.

2. The bureau began writing tourist's names and ID numbers on receipts.

3. Its well-retained townscape that blends elements from several cultures over many centuries, and an ancient water-supply system of great complexity and ingenuity that still functions effectively today.

（英语点津 Helen 编辑）

About the broadcaster:

Nancy Matos is a foreign expert at China Daily Website. Born and raised in Vancouver, Canada, Nancy is a graduate of the Broadcast Journalism and Media program at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. Her journalism career in broadcast and print has taken her around the world from New York to Portugal and now Beijing. Nancy is happy to make the move to China and join the China Daily team.