Out of 936 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, a whopping 41 are located in China (the third-highest number of UNESCO properties out of all other nations, behind only Spain and Italy).
For this reason, the conservation of these properties is of extreme importance. Thankfully, the newly signed set of concrete joint initiatives from the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the World Bank and UNESCO celebrates China’s inscribed properties. According to the World Bank, “the overall objective of the MoU is to provide a framework for technical cooperation between UNESCO and the World Bank in the following areas: Historic Cities Preservation and Rehabilitation, The Promotion of Cultural Diversity, The Conservation of Natural Heritage Sites, and The Economics of Culture.”
China’s 41 Heritage Sites are listed below.
- Ancient Building Complex in the Wudang Mountains
- Ancient City of Pingyao
- Ancient Villages in Southern Anhui – Xidi and Hongcun
- Capital Cities and Tombs of the Ancient Koguryo Kingdom
- China Danxia
- Classical Gardens of Suzhou
- Dazu Rock Carvings
- Fujian Tulou
- Historic Centre of Macao
- Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace, Lhasa
- Historic Monuments of Dengfeng in “The Centre of Heaven and Earth”
- Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area
- Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang
- Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties
- Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area
- Kaiping Diaolou and Villages
- Longmen Grottoes
- Lushan National Park
- Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor
- Mogao Caves
- Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area
- Mount Huangshan
- Mount Qingcheng and the Dujiangyan Irrigation System
- Mount Sanqingshan National Park
- Mount Taishan
- Mount Wutai
- Mount Wuyi
- Mountain Resort and its Outlying Temples, Chengde
- Old Town of Lijiang
- Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian
- Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries – Wolong, Mt Siguniang and Jiajin Mountains
- South China Karst
- Summer Palace, an Imperial Garden in Beijing
- Temple and Cemetery of Confucius and the Kong Family Mansion in Qufu
- Temple of Heaven: an Imperial Sacrificial Altar in Beijing
- The Great Wall
- Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas
- West Lake Cultural Landscape of Hangzhou
- Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area
- Yin Xu
- Yungang Grottoes
Visit UNESCO’s interactive world map by clicking here.
To see a full list of World Heritage sites, please click here.
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WildChina proudly visits many of these sites on our journeys. Follow the links above to learn more about how you can visit a UNESCO World Heritage Site on your WildChina journey or email us at info@wildchina.com. Departures in Fall of 2011 include a journey to see Yosemite’s Sister Parks in China in September and a photography expedition along the Silk Road in October.
Photo by WildChina.
