Chinese tourists visit the Donglin Buddha, located in the foothills of Lushan Mountain in east China's Jiangxi Province, on November 19, 2014. The Buddha statue is the world's highest Amitabha statue, according to the government. China has slowly, but positively embraced ecotourism as unchecked development across the country has begun threatening cultural heritage areas and the traditional ways of life in ethnic-rich provinces. UPI/Stephen Shaver
Chinese tourists visit the Donglin Buddha, located in the foothills of Lushan Mountain in east China's Jiangxi Province, on November 19, 2014. The Buddha statue is the world's highest Amitabha statue, according to the government. China has slowly, but positively embraced ecotourism as unchecked development across the country has begun threatening cultural heritage areas and the traditional ways of life in ethnic-rich provinces. UPI/Stephen Shaver
Tourists visit the Sanqing Mountains, a renowned Taoist sacred mountain range and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, located in east China's Jiangxi Province, on November 18, 2014. China has slowly, but positively embraced ecotourism as unchecked development across the country has begun threatening cultural heritage areas and the traditional ways of life in ethnic-rich provinces. UPI/Stephen Shaver
Tourists visit the Sanqing Mountains, a renowned Taoist sacred mountain range and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, located in east China's Jiangxi Province, on November 18, 2014. China has slowly, but positively embraced ecotourism as unchecked development across the country has begun threatening cultural heritage areas and the traditional ways of life in ethnic-rich provinces. UPI/Stephen Shaver
Tourists visit the Sanqing Mountains, a renowned Taoist sacred mountain range and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, located in east China's Jiangxi Province, on November 18, 2014. China has slowly, but positively embraced ecotourism as unchecked development across the country has begun threatening cultural heritage areas and the traditional ways of life in ethnic-rich provinces. UPI/Stephen Shaver
Tourists visit the Sanqing Mountains, a renowned Taoist sacred mountain range and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, located in east China's Jiangxi Province, on November 18, 2014. China has slowly, but positively embraced ecotourism as unchecked development across the country has begun threatening cultural heritage areas and the traditional ways of life in ethnic-rich provinces. UPI/Stephen Shaver
Tourists visit the Sanqing Mountains, a renowned Taoist sacred mountain range and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, located in east China's Jiangxi Province, on November 18, 2014. China has slowly, but positively embraced ecotourism as unchecked development across the country has begun threatening cultural heritage areas and the traditional ways of life in ethnic-rich provinces. UPI/Stephen Shaver
Tourists visit the Sanqing Mountains, a renowned Taoist sacred mountain range and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, located in east China's Jiangxi Province, on November 18, 2014. China has slowly, but positively embraced ecotourism as unchecked development across the country has begun threatening cultural heritage areas and the traditional ways of life in ethnic-rich provinces. UPI/Stephen Shaver
Tourists visit the Sanqing Mountains, a renowned Taoist sacred mountain range and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, located in east China's Jiangxi Province, on November 18, 2014. China has slowly, but positively embraced ecotourism as unchecked development across the country has begun threatening cultural heritage areas and the traditional ways of life in ethnic-rich provinces. UPI/Stephen Shaver
Tourists visit the Sanqing Mountains, a renowned Taoist sacred mountain range and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, located in east China's Jiangxi Province, on November 18, 2014. China has slowly, but positively embraced ecotourism as unchecked development across the country has begun threatening cultural heritage areas and the traditional ways of life in ethnic-rich provinces. UPI/Stephen Shaver
Tourists visit the Sanqing Mountains, a renowned Taoist sacred mountain range and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, located in east China's Jiangxi Province, on November 18, 2014. China has slowly, but positively embraced ecotourism as unchecked development across the country has begun threatening cultural heritage areas and the traditional ways of life in ethnic-rich provinces. UPI/Stephen Shaver
Tourists visit the Sanqing Mountains, a renowned Taoist sacred mountain range and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, located in east China's Jiangxi Province, on November 18, 2014. China has slowly, but positively embraced ecotourism as unchecked development across the country has begun threatening cultural heritage areas and the traditional ways of life in ethnic-rich provinces. UPI/Stephen Shaver
Tourists visit the terraced fields surrounding Huangling village, located in east China's Jiangxi Province, on November 22, 2014. China has slowly, but positively embraced ecotourism as unchecked development across the country has begun threatening cultural heritage areas and the traditional ways of life in ethnic-rich provinces. UPI/Stephen Shaver
Chinese men haul bricks for a new hotel being built near Huangling village, located in east China's Jiangxi Province, on November 22, 2014. China has slowly, but positively embraced ecotourism as unchecked development across the country has begun threatening cultural heritage areas and the traditional ways of life in ethnic-rich provinces. UPI/Stephen Shaver
Chinese women lay out yellow flowers and chili peppers to dry in Huangling village, located in east China's Jiangxi Province, on November 22, 2014. China has slowly, but positively embraced ecotourism as unchecked development across the country has begun threatening cultural heritage areas and the traditional ways of life in ethnic-rich provinces. UPI/Stephen Shaver
A Chinese woman lays out yellow flowers, pumpkin and chili peppers to dry in Huangling village, located in east China's Jiangxi Province, on November 22, 2014. China has slowly, but positively embraced ecotourism as unchecked development across the country has begun threatening cultural heritage areas and the traditional ways of life in ethnic-rich provinces. UPI/Stephen Shaver
Chinese women lay out yellow flowers and chili peppers to dry in Huangling village, located in east China's Jiangxi Province, on November 22, 2014. China has slowly, but positively embraced ecotourism as unchecked development across the country has begun threatening cultural heritage areas and the traditional ways of life in ethnic-rich provinces. UPI/Stephen Shaver
A Chinese man weaves bamboo lanterns in Huangling village, located in east China's Jiangxi Province, on November 22, 2014. China has slowly, but positively embraced ecotourism as unchecked development across the country has begun threatening cultural heritage areas and the traditional ways of life in ethnic-rich provinces. UPI/Stephen Shaver
A Chinese man plays the flute next to an open window in Huangling village, located in east China's Jiangxi Province, on November 22, 2014. China has slowly, but positively embraced ecotourism as unchecked development across the country has begun threatening cultural heritage areas and the traditional ways of life in ethnic-rich provinces. UPI/Stephen Shaver
A Chinese woman looks out a window in Huangling village, located in east China's Jiangxi Province, on November 22, 2014. China has slowly, but positively embraced ecotourism as unchecked development across the country has begun threatening cultural heritage areas and the traditional ways of life in ethnic-rich provinces. UPI/Stephen Shaver
Chinese women chop chili peppers behind rows of dried corn in Huangling village, located in east China's Jiangxi Province, on November 22, 2014. China has slowly, but positively embraced ecotourism as unchecked development across the country has begun threatening cultural heritage areas and the traditional ways of life in ethnic-rich provinces. UPI/Stephen Shaver
Chinese women plant crops in Huangling village, located in east China's Jiangxi Province, on November 22, 2014. China has slowly, but positively embraced ecotourism as unchecked development across the country has begun threatening cultural heritage areas and the traditional ways of life in ethnic-rich provinces. UPI/Stephen Shaver
Tourists visit the National Wetlands Park of Fujin in Fujin, a frontier town in China's northern Heilongjiang Province on August 3, 2013. China is facing a serious shortage of water that it fears could derail its booming economic growth. Ponds and marshes are drying up as land is reclaimed for agriculture and industry, while reservoirs and dams disrupt the flow of rivers. With China's wetlands in trouble and under increasing threats, the government will establish 68 new pilot national wetland parks and step-up protection of the valuable natural resources. UPI/Stephen Shaver
Tourists visit the National Wetlands Park of Fujin in Fujin, a frontier town in China's northern Heilongjiang Province on August 3, 2013. China is facing a serious shortage of water that it fears could derail its booming economic growth. Ponds and marshes are drying up as land is reclaimed for agriculture and industry, while reservoirs and dams disrupt the flow of rivers. With China's wetlands in trouble and under increasing threats, the government will establish 68 new pilot national wetland parks and step-up protection of the valuable natural resources. UPI/Stephen Shaver
Tourists visit the National Wetlands Park of Fujin in Fujin, a frontier town in China's northern Heilongjiang Province on August 3, 2013. China is facing a serious shortage of water that it fears could derail its booming economic growth. Ponds and marshes are drying up as land is reclaimed for agriculture and industry, while reservoirs and dams disrupt the flow of rivers. With China's wetlands in trouble and under increasing threats, the government will establish 68 new pilot national wetland parks and step-up protection of the valuable natural resources. UPI/Stephen Shaver
A Chinese tourist boat waits for passengers in Fuyuan
A Chinese tourist boat waits for passengers before heading up the Songhua River and its wetlands, which serves as a natural border between China and Russia (background), in Fuyuan, a frontier town in China's northern Heilongjiang Province on August 4, 2013. Ecotourism has been part of household vocabularies in China for a decade, however experts believe that the concept still has a long way to go in China. Most domestic tourists are more interested in sightseeing than promoting environmental programs and awareness, according to a study. UPI/Stephen Shaver
Road construction is underway alongside the massive Three Rivers Nature Reserve, the largest wetlands in China, in Fuyuan, a frontier town in China's northern Heilongjiang Province on August 4, 2013. China is facing a serious shortage of water that it fears could derail its booming economic growth. Ponds and marshes are drying up as land is reclaimed for agriculture and industry, while reservoirs and dams disrupt the flow of rivers. With China's wetlands in trouble and under increasing threats, the government will establish 68 new pilot national wetland parks and step-up protection of the valuable natural resources. UPI/Stephen Shaver