Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live with today, and what we pass on to future generations. Our cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration. Places as unique and diverse as the wilds of East Africa’s Serengeti, the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Baroque cathedrals of Latin America make up our world’s heritage. World Heritage sites belong to all the peoples of the world, irrespective of the territory on which they are located. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) seeks to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity.

The World Heritage Sites in China include:
• Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1987, 2004)
• Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor (1987)
• Mogao Caves (1987)
• Mount Taishan (1987)
• Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian (1987)
• The Great Wall (1987)
• Mount Huangshan (1990)
• Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area (1992)
• Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area (1992)
• Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area (1992)
• Ancient Building Complex in the Wudang Mountains (1994)
• Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace, Lhasa (1994, 2000, 2001)
• Mountain Resort and its Outlying Temples, Chengde (1994)
• Temple & Cemetery of Confucius & the Kong Family Mansion (1994)
• Lushan National Park (1996)
• Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area (1996)
• Ancient City of Ping Yao (1997)
• Classical Gardens of Suzhou (1997, 2000)
• Old Town of Lijiang (1997)
• Summer Palace, an Imperial Garden in Beijing (1998)
• Temple of Heaven: an Imperial Sacrificial Altar in Beijing (1998)
• Dazu Rock Carvings (1999)
• Mount Wuyi (1999)
• Ancient Villages in Southern Anhui – Xidi and Hongcun (2000)
• Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (2000, 2003, 2004)
• Longmen Grottoes (2000)
• Mount Qingcheng and the Dujiangyan Irrigation System (2000)
• Yungang Grottoes (2001)
• Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas (2003)
• Capital Cities and Tombs of the Ancient Koguryo Kingdom (2004)
• Historic Centre of Macao (2005)
• Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries (2006)
• Yin Xu (2006)
• Kaiping Diaolou and Villages (2007)
• South China Karst (2007)

 

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