World Heritage Sites in China ⋆ China Life & Buying Guide

The International Convention Concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage established and adopted World Heritage List at the 17th General Conference of UNESCO in November 1972.In 1985, China Joined the International Convention Concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage. To date, there are 43 world heritage sites in China. Among them, 9 are natural heritage sites. 30 are cultural heritage sites and 4 are world mixed heritages sites. Following are several important UNESCO World Heritage Sites in China for you reference.

Badaling Great Wall, Beijing

The Great Wall was declared in World Heritage List by UNESCO in 1987. Badaling Great Wall is the first section of the Great Wall that opened to the public. First constructed in the 18th year of the Hongzhi reign period of the Ming Dynasty in 1505, it was renovated later in Jiajing and Wanli reign of the same Dynasty. With its strategic position, Badaling Section took tremendous labor and materials. The wall of Badaling is tall and solid built by square rocks, and the beacon towers stand one by one. It was a vital protective screen of Beijing city and the important military pass of Ming Dynasty in ancient times. Winding along the ridge of the mountain, Badaling Section of the Great Wall is vividly dragon like.

► Recommended Tour to the Badaling Great Wall: Beijing Package Tours

Forbidden City, Beijing

Forbidden City in Beijing, also called Imperial Palace Museum, is located in the very heart of Beijing. It remained the residence of the emperors for nearly five hundred years, from the 15th century to the early 20th century, and was the actual and symbolic seat of imperial power.

Popularly known as the Forbidden City, it was built in the Ming Dynasty between the 4th and the 18th years of the Yongle period (1406 – 1420 AD). Many of the buildings of the Palace have been repaired and rebuilt, but their basic form and layout remain in their original state.

Forbidden City can be taken as a sample of the traditional Chinese palatial architecture. In 1987, it became a World Heritage Site. Besides, it is also listed by UNESCO as the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world.

Terracotta Warriors, Xi’an

Terracotta Warriors in Xian, known as the eighth wonder of the world, now is a museum to display the terra-cotta warriors and horses which were made in Tang Dynasty. It is declared in World Heritage List by UNESCO in 1987.

From its history, Qin Terracotta Army is covered by a mysterious face. In 221 B.C., Emperor Qin Shi Huang of the Qin dynasty established the first centralized feudal dynasty in China. After his death, he was buried at the northern foot of Lishan Hill in the east of Lintong County. The tomb has been reduced to half its size after 2,000 years of water and soil erosion, but still impressive – 76 meters high and a fundamental space of 120,000 square meters.

There are four main categories of figures in this museum: chariot warriors, infantrymen, cavalrymen, and horses. There are generals, middle ranking officers, lower ranking officers, ordinary soldiers, and armored warriors. The latter can be further divided according to their headgear into warriors with a square scarf, a cylindrical bun, or a flat bun. There are kneeling warriors as well.

► Recommended Xian Tour: Best Xian Tour

Terracotta Warriors, Xi’an

Wolong Panda Reserve, Sichuan

Giant panda, a symbolic animal of the World Foundation for Wild Animal Protection, is popular for its lovely appearance and rarity. At present, there are 18 nature reserves for pandas, 16 of which are in Sichuan Province, the home to panda. Wolong Giant Panda Nature Reserve, as a pandas’ research center, is one of them. It is declared in World Heritage List by UNESCO in 2006

Located at the southwest of Wenchuan County, and first constructed in 1963, it is one of the earliest comprehensive national reserves. The place has more than 100 pandas, accounting 10% of the total number in the country. Besides, there are other rare animals and plants as well as rich water resources.

Panda Reserve. Chengdu

Mogao Grottoes, Gansu

Mogao Grottoes are located precipice at on the east foot of the Mingsha Hill in Dunhuang. First dug in 366 A.D., Mogao Grottoes is one of three noted grottoes in China for its fabulous frescos and statues. And in December 1987 the Mogao Grottoes have been included into the Lisr of the World Cultural Heritages by the UNESCO.

Today, the total number of Mogao Grottoes is 492 in which there are over 2,800 sculptures and 45,000 square meters of murals. There are five grottoes with a wooden structure. The Mogao Grottoes is the largest, oldest and the best-preserved Buddhist grottoes with the richest contents in the world today.

► Recommended China Tour to Dunhuang: Silk Road Tours

List of World Heritage Sites in China
Heritage Sites	Category	Time in the List	Location	Features
Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, including the Forbidden City and Mukden Palace	World Cultural Site	Beijing	Landmark of China
Great Wall of China	World Cultural Site	1987	Beijing	Landmark of China
The Mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang	World Cultural Site	1987	Xian, Shaanxi province	Landmark of China
Mogao Grottoes	World Cultural Site	1987	Dunhuang , Gansu province	·
Mount Taishan	World Cultural and Natural Site (Mixed)	1987	Jinnan, Shandong Province	The most important famous landscape of China
Zhoukoudian Peking Man Site	World Cultural Site	1987	Beijing
Yellow Mountain	World Cultural and Natural Site (Mixed)	1990	Anhui province	imposing peaks ,forests of stone pillars and evergreen sturdy pines
Huanglong National Park	World Natural Site	1992	JiuzhaigouCounty, SichuanProvince	colorful ponds, snowy mountains, deep valleys, and dense forest
Jiuzhaigou Valley	World Natural Site	1992	Jiuzhaigou County, Sichuan Province
Yangjiajie Scenic Area	World Natural Site	1992	Zhangjiajie, Hunan Province
Ancient Building Complex in the Wudang Mountain	World Cultural Site	1994	Hubei Province	The most famous Taoist holy site in China
Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace , including the Jokhang Temple and Norbulingka	World Cultural Site	1994, 2000, 2001	Lhasa,Tibet	Potala Palce:landmark of the city. Jokhang Temple: spiritual center of Tibet Norbulingka: the largest garden in Tibet
Chengde Mountain Resort and its Outlying Temples: Puning Temple, Pule Temple, Sumeru Fushou Temple, Putuo Zongcheng Temple	World Cultural Site	1994	Chengde, Hebei Province	China’s largest existing imperial garden
Confucian Temple and Confucian Cemetery, and Confucius Mansion	World Cultural Site	1994	Qufu, Shandong Province
Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area	World Cultural and Natural Site (Mixed	1996	Leshan, Sichuan Province	Leshan Giant Buddha：The tallest stone Buddha statue in the world
Lushan National Park	World Cultural Site	1996	Jiangxi Province
Pingyao Ancient City	World Cultural Site	1997	Shanxi Province
Classical Gardens of Suzhou，including Humble Administrator Garden，Lion Grove Garden, The Lingering Garden, Master of Nets Garden	World Cultural Site	1997, 2000	Suzhou, Jiangsu Province
Lijiang Old Town	World Cultural Site	1997	Lijiang,Yunnan Province
Summer Palace	World Cultural Site	1998	Beijing	The existing largest, best-preserved imperial garden in China and a fine example of imperial gardening art.
Temple of Heaven	World Cultural Site	1998	Beijing
Dazu Rock Carvings	World Cultural Site	1999	Chongqing
Mt. Wuyishan	World Cultural and Natural Site (Mixed)	1999	Fu Provinces
Ancient Villages in Southern Anhui – Xidi Village and Hongcun Village	World Cultural Site	2000	Huangshan, Anhui Province
Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, including the Ming Tombs and the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum	World Cultural Site	2000, 2003, 2004	Beijing and Nanjing
Longmen Grottoes	World Cultural Site	2000	Luoyang, Henan province	one of the three most famous ancient sculptural sites in China
Qingcheng Mountain and the Dujiangyan Irrigation System	World Cultural Site	2000	Chengdu, Sichuan Province
Yungang Grottoes	World Cultural Site	2001	Datong, Shanxi Province
Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas	World Natural Site	2003	Yunnan Province
Capital Cities and Tombs of the Ancient Koguryo Kingdom	World Cultural Site	2004	Jilin province
Historic Centre of Macau	World Cultural Site	2005	Macau
Anyang Yin Ruins	World Cultural Site	2006	Kaifeng, Henan Province
Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries, including Wolong Panda Reserve, Bifengxia Panda Base	World Natural Site	2006	Sichuan Province
Kaiping Diaolou and Villages	World Cultural Site	2007	Guangdong Province
South China Karst	World Natural Site	2007	Yunnan, Guizhou provinces and Chongqing municipality
Fujian Tulou， including：Hakka Tulou in Yongding，Hakka Tulou in Nanjing	World Cultural Site	2008	Fujian Province
Sanqingshan	World Natural Site	2008	Jiangxi Province
Mt. Wutai	World Cultural Site	2009	Taiyuan, Shanxi Province
Historic Monuments of Dengfeng in “The Centre of Heaven and Earth”	World Cultural Site	2010	Dengfeng, Henan Province
China Danxia	World Natural Site	2010	Hunan, Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, and Guizhou provinces
West Lake Cultural Landscape of Hangzhou	World Cultural Site	2011	Hangzhou,
Site of Xanadu	World Cultural Site	2012	Inner Mongolia
Chengjiang Fossil Site	World Natural Site	2012	Yunnan Province