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This is a list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in China. China has 56, ranking second in the world just below Italy (58). China ratified The Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage on 12 December 1985. These sites comprise some of the most essential part of China's valuable and rich tourism resources.

Overview

Since joining the International Convention Concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage in 1985, China has 56 World Heritage Sites to date; of these 38 are cultural heritage sites, 14 are natural heritage sites, and 4 are cultural and natural (mixed) sites, ranking second in the world.[1]

In addition, there are also several Chinese documents inscribed in UNESCO's list Memory of the World, which registers the world's documentary heritage. Furthermore, China has a rich non-material cultural heritage, with several of them inscribed on UNESCO's list of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

Map

Following is a map of the World Heritage Sites in China.

Numbered sites around Beijing: 1. Great Wall; 2. Forbidden City; 3. Zhoukoudian; 4. Summer Palace; 5. Temple of Heaven; 6. Ming tombs; 7. Eastern Qing Tombs; 8. Western Qing Tombs

Legend:

Red pog.svg
Cultural Heritage site;
Green pog.svg
Natural Heritage site;
Yellow pog.svg
Mixed site

World Heritage Sites

* = World Cultural Heritage Site
† = World Natural Heritage Site
*† = World Cultural and Natural Heritage Site (Mixed)
Site Image Location Year listed UNESCO data Description
Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, including the Forbidden City and Mukden Palace*
Forbidden City Panorama 1.jpg

Mukden Palace drone view 5.jpg
Beijing (Forbidden City) and Shenyang, Liaoning (Mukden Palace) 1987, 2004 I, II, III, IV 439
Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor *
秦始皇帝陵陪葬兵馬俑一號坑·兵馬俑一號坑·西安臨潼·(正面).jpg
Xi'an, Shaanxi 1987 I, III, IV, VI 441
Mogao Caves *
Jiucenglou of Mogao Caves.jpg
Dunhuang, Gansu 1987 I, II, III, IV, V, VI 440
Mount Tai *†
泰山 南天门.jpg
Tai'an, Shandong 1987 I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII 437
Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian *
Zhoukoudian Entrance.JPG
Beijing 1987 III, VI 449
The Great Wall*
20090529 Great Wall 8185.jpg
Northern China 1987 I, II, III, IV, VI 438
Mount Huangshan *†
Huangshan-瀑布云 20141109.JPG
Huangshan City, Anhui 1990 II, VII, X 547
Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area
1 huanglong pools aerial 2011.jpg
Songpan County, Sichuan 1992 VII 638
Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area †
1 jiuzhaigou valley wu hua hai 2011b.jpg
Jiuzhaigou County, Sichuan 1992 VII 637
Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area †
1 tianzishan wulingyuan zhangjiajie 2012.jpg
Zhangjiajie, Hunan 1992 VII 640
Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace, including the Jokhang Temple and Norbulingka *
Potala palace21.jpg
Lhasa, Tibet 1994, 2000, 2001 I, IV, VI 707
Ancient Building Complex in the Wudang Mountains *
紫霄宮.JPG
Hubei 1994 I, II, VI 705
Chengde Mountain Resort and its Outlying Temples in Chengde *
Putuo Zongcheng Temple.jpg
Chengde, Hebei 1994 II, IV 703
Temple and Cemetery of Confucius and the Kong Family Mansion in Qufu *
Kong Miao - Dacheng Dian - P1050686.JPG
Qufu, Shandong 1994 I, IV, VI 704
Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area *†
Leshan Buddha Statue View.JPG
Emeishan City (Mt. Emei) and Leshan (Giant Buddha), Sichuan 1996 IV, VI, X 779
Mountain Lu National Park *†
Mount Lushan - fog.JPG
Jiujiang, Jiangxi 1996 II, III, IV, VI 778
Ancient City of Pingyao *
Pingyao-muralla-c01-f.jpg
Pingyao County, Shanxi 1997 II, III, IV 812
Classical Gardens of Suzhou *
Wangshiyuan.jpg
Suzhou, Jiangsu 1997, 2000 I, II, III, IV, V 813
Old Town of Lijiang *
Roofs of old town Lijiang.jpg
Lijiang, Yunnan 1997 II, IV, V 811
Summer Palace *
Residence dete828.JPG
Beijing 1998 I, II, III 880
Temple of Heaven *
Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest.JPG
Beijing 1998 I, II, III 881
Dazu Rock Carvings *
Dazu.jpg
Dazu District, Chongqing 1999 I, II, III 912
Mount Wuyi *†
Peak Yunu.jpg
Fujian, Jiangxi 1999 III, VI, VII, X 911
Ancient Villages in Southern Anhui – Xidi and Hongcun *
Hongcun village in China.jpg
Yi County, Anhui 2000 III, IV, V 1002
Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, including the Ming tombs and the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum *
Spirit Way Pass Through Emperor Pavilion in Thirteen Tombs of Ming Dynasty.jpg
Mingchangling201910.jpg
Beiling Park Zhao Mausoleum (Qing dynasty) drone view 12.jpg
Beijing and Nanjing, Jiangsu 2000, 2003, 2004 III, IV, V 1004
Longmen Grottoes *
DragonGateCave2.jpg
Luoyang, Henan 2000 I, II, III 1003
Mount Qingcheng and the Dujiangyan Irrigation System *
Dujiang Weir.jpg
Dujiangyan City, Sichuan 2000 II, IV, VI 1001
Yungang Grottoes *
Yunganggrottoes2019.jpg
Datong, Shanxi 2001 I, II, III, IV 1039
Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas
Tiger Leaping Gorge.jpg
Yunnan 2003 VII, VIII, IX, X 1083
Capital Cities and Tombs of the Ancient Koguryo Kingdom *
Kevsunblush2.JPG
Ji'an, Jilin 2004 I, II, III, IV, V 1135
Historic Centre of Macau *
Ruinas de Sao Paulo.jpg
Macau 2005 II, III, IV, VI 1110
Yinxu *
Yinxu.jpg
Anyang, Henan 2006 II, III, IV, VI 1114
Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries
Chengdu-pandas-d10.jpg
Sichuan 2006 X 1213
Kaiping Diaolou and Villages *
Rui Shi Lou.jpg
Kaiping, Guangdong 2007 II, III, IV 1112
South China Karst
Guilin lijiang.jpg
Yunnan, Guizhou, Chongqing and Guangxi 2007, 2014 VII, VIII 1248
Fujian Tulou *
Snail pit tulou.jpg
Fujian 2008 III, IV, V 1113
Sanqingshan
Sanqingshan1522.jpg
Yushan County, Jiangxi 2008 VII 1292
Mount Wutai *
五台山塔院寺.jpg
Wutai County, Shanxi 2009 II, III, IV, VI 1279
Historic Monuments of Dengfeng in “The Centre of Heaven and Earth” *
Shaolinsi.JPG
Dengfeng, Henan 2010 III, VI 1305
China Danxia
Danxia 0816.JPG
Hunan, Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, and Guizhou 2010 VII, VIII, IX, X 1335
West Lake Cultural Landscape of Hangzhou *
Leifang Pagoda Sunset.jpg
Hangzhou, Zhejiang 2011 II, III, VI 1334
Site of Xanadu *
Zhenglan Banner, Xilingol League, Inner Mongolia 2012 II, III, IV, VI 1389
Chengjiang Fossil Site
Maotianshania-cylindrica.jpg
Chengjiang County, Yunnan 2012 VIII 1388
Xinjiang Tianshan
Central Tian Shan mountains.jpg
Xinjiang 2013 VII, IX 1414
Cultural Landscape of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces *
Terrace field yunnan china edit.jpg
Yuanyang County, Yunnan 2013 III, V 1111
Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor *
Dayanta Gisela-Brantl 01.JPG
Luoyang, Lingbao of Henan; Xi'an, Bin County and Chenggu of Shaanxi; Tianshui, Yongjing, Dunhuang and Anxi of Gansu; Turpan, Jimsar and Kuqa of Xinjiang 2014 II, III, IV, VI 1442
Grand Canal *
拱宸橋·浙江杭州·(航拍自東南往西北).jpg
Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui and Henan 2014 I, III, IV, VI 1443
Tusi Sites *
海龙屯 朝天关.jpg
Hunan, Hubei and Guizhou 2015 II, III 1474
Zuojiang Huashan Rock Art Cultural Landscape *
Rock painting hua mountain 1.jpg
Guangxi 2016 III, VI 1508
Hubei Shennongjia
VM 5331 Muyu town north.jpg
Hubei 2016 IX, X 1509
Qinghai Hoh Xil
Hoh Xil.jpg
Qinghai 2017 VII, X 1540
Kulangsu: a Historic International Settlement *
Gulangyu.jpg
Xiamen, Fujian 2017 II, IV 1541
Fanjingshan
梵淨山紅雲金頂(新金頂).jpg
Tongren, Guizhou 2018 X 1559
Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City *
Liangzhu Ancient City Site, 2016-06-18 17.jpg
Hangzhou and Deqing County, Zhejiang 2019 III, IV 1592
Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China (Phase I) † Yancheng, Jiangsu 2019 X 1606
Historic Monuments and Sites of Ancient Quanzhou (Zayton)
20230130 Old City of Quanzhou 01.jpg
Quanzhou, Fujian 2021 IV 1561

Tentative list

There are the sites China has submitted to the UNESCO World Heritage tentative list.[2]

Performance of China in UNESCO

UNESCO List Exclusive Entries of China, People's Republic Shared/Multinational Entries Involving China, People's Republic
UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves 33
UNESCO World Heritage List 53 1
UNESCO Memory of the World Register 13
UNESCO Global Geoparks Network 37
UNESCO Creative Cities Network 12
UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists 39 1

See also

References

  1. ^ "China". whc.unesco.org. Retrieved 28 September 2021.((cite web)): CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ^ Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "UNESCO World Heritage Centre – Tentative Lists". whc.unesco.org. Retrieved 9 April 2019.