This is a list of

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

s in China. China has 56, ranking second in the world just below

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

(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 Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tours. The World Tourism Organization defines tourism mor ...

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. In addition, there are also several Chinese documents inscribed in UNESCO's list

Memory of the World Memory is the faculty of the mind by which data or information is encoded, stored, and retrieved when needed. It is the retention of information over time for the purpose of influencing future action. If past events could not be remembered, ...

, 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 The Great Wall of China (, literally "ten thousand ''li'' wall") is a series of fortifications that were built across the historical northern borders of ancient Chinese states and Imperial China as protection against various nomadic groups ...

; 2.

Forbidden City The Forbidden City () is a palace complex in Dongcheng District, Beijing, China, at the center of the Imperial City of Beijing. It is surrounded by numerous opulent imperial gardens and temples including the Zhongshan Park, the sacrifi ...

; 3.

Zhoukoudian Zhoukoudian Area () is a town and an area located on the east Fangshan District, Beijing, China. It borders Nanjiao and Fozizhuang Townships to its north, Xiangyang, Chengguan and Yingfeng Subdistricts to its east, Shilou and Hangcunhe Towns t ...

; 4.

Summer Palace The Summer Palace () is a vast ensemble of lakes, gardens and palaces in Beijing. It was an imperial garden in the Qing dynasty. Inside includes Longevity Hill () Kunming Lake and Seventeen Hole Bridge. It covers an expanse of , three-quarte ...

; 5.

Temple of Heaven The Temple of Heaven () is a complex of imperial religious buildings situated in the southeastern part of central Beijing. The complex was visited by the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven for ...

; 6.

Ming tombs The Ming tombs are a collection of mausoleums built by the emperors of the Ming dynasty of China. The first Ming emperor's tomb is located near his capital Nanjing. However, the majority of the Ming tombs are located in a cluster near Beijing an ...

; 7. Eastern Qing Tombs; 8.

Western Qing Tombs The Western Qing tombs (; ) are located some southwest of Beijing in Yi County, Hebei Province. They constitute a necropolis that incorporates four royal mausoleums where seventy-eight royal members are buried. These include four emperors of th ...

Legend:

Cultural Heritage site; Green pog

Natural Heritage site; Yellow pog

Mixed site

World Heritage Sites

:* = World Cultural Heritage Site :† = World Natural Heritage Site :*† = World Cultural and Natural Heritage Site (Mixed)

Tentative list

There are the sites China has submitted to the UNESCO World Heritage tentative list. *

Dongzhai Port Nature Reserve Dongzhai Port Nature Reserve, also called the Hainan Dongzhai Bay National Nature Reserve, Dongzhai Harbor Mangrove, and Dongzhai Harbor Mangrove Natural Reserve Area, is located within Dongzhai Harbor, in the area of Yanfeng Town, Meilan Distric ...

(1996) * The

Alligator Sinensis The Chinese alligator (; ), also known as the Yangtze alligator (), China alligator, or historically the muddy dragon, is a crocodilian endemic to China. It and the American alligator (''A. mississippiensis'') are the only living species in the ...

Nature Reserve (1996) * Poyang Nature Reserve (1996) * The Lijiang River Scenic Zone at Guilin (1996) * Yalong, Tibet (2001) * Yangtze Gorges Scenic Spot (2001) * Jinfushan Scenic Spot (2001) * Heaven Pit and Ground Seam Scenic Spot (2001) * Hua Shan Scenic Area (2001) *

Yandang Mountains Yandang Mountains or Yandangshan ( Chinese: t , s , p ''Yàndàng Shān'', lit. "Wild Goose Pond Mountain(s)") refers, in the broad sense, to a coastal mountain range in southeastern Zhejiang province in eastern China, ...

(2001) * Nanxi River (2001) * Maijishan Scenic Spots (2001) * Wudalianchi Scenic Spots (2001) * Haitan Scenic Spots (2001) * Dali Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake Scenic Spot (2001) * Sites for Liquor Making in China (2008) * Ancient Residences in Shanxi and

Shaanxi Shaanxi (alternatively Shensi, see § Name) is a landlocked province of China. Officially part of Northwest China, it borders the province-level divisions of Shanxi (NE, E), Henan (E), Hubei (SE), Chongqing (S), Sichuan (SW), Gansu (W), N ...

Provinces (2008) *

City Walls of the Ming and Qing Dynasties A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

(2008) *

Slender West Lake Slender West Lake () is a scenic lake and AAAAA Tourist Attraction and national park in Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province, China. Specifically, it is located in Hanjiang District of Yangzhou, just northwest of the city's historic center. The l ...

and Historic Urban Area in

Yangzhou Yangzhou, postal romanization Yangchow, is a prefecture-level city in central Jiangsu Province (Suzhong), East China. Sitting on the north bank of the Yangtze, it borders the provincial capital Nanjing to the southwest, Huai'an to the north ...

(2008) * Ancient Water Towns South of the

Yangtze The Yangtze or Yangzi ( or ; ) is the longest river in Asia, the third-longest in the world, and the longest in the world to flow entirely within one country. It rises at Jari Hill in the Tanggula Mountains (Tibetan Plateau) and flows ...

River (

Zhouzhuang Zhouzhuang (; Wu: ''Tseu-zaon'') is a town famous for its canals in Jiangsu province, China. It is located within the administrative area of Kunshan, 30 km southeast of the city centre of Suzhou. Zhouzhuang is a popular tourist destination ...

, Luzhi,

Wuzhen Wuzhen (, Wu: Whu-tsen lit. "Wu Town") is a historic scenic town, part of Tongxiang, located in the north of Zhejiang Province, China. It lies within the triangle formed by Hangzhou, Suzhou and Shanghai. Covering an area of , Wuzhen has a tota ...

, and

Xitang Xitang (), formerly known as Xietang (), Pingtang () and Xutang (), is a historic town in Jiashan County, Zhejiang, China. It borders Luxu Town in the north, Yaozhuang Town in the east, Ganyao Town in the southeast, and Tianning Town and Town in ...

) (2008) *

Fenghuang Ancient City Fenghuang County (), named after the mythological birds ''Fenghuang'', is a county of Hunan Province, China, under the administration of Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture. Located on the western margin of the province and the southern Xiangxi, it i ...

(2008) * Sites of the

Southern Yue Nanyue (), was an ancient kingdom ruled by Chinese monarchs of the Zhao family that covered the modern Chinese subdivisions of Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Hong Kong, Macau, southern Fujian and central to northern Vietnam. Nanyue was establishe ...

State (2008) * Baiheliang Ancient Hydrological Inscription (2008) * Miao Nationality Villages in Southeast

Guizhou Guizhou (; formerly Kweichow) is a landlocked province in the southwest region of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Guiyang, in the center of the province. Guizhou borders the autonomous region of Guangxi to the ...

Province: The villages of Miao Nationality at the Foot of Leigong Mountain in Miao Ling Mountains (2008) * Karez Wells (2008) * Expansion Project of Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties: King Lujian’s Tombs (2008) * The Four Sacred Mountains as an extension of Mt. Taishan (2008) *

Taklimakan Desert The Taklimakan or Taklamakan Desert (; zh, s=塔克拉玛干沙漠, p=Tǎkèlāmǎgān Shāmò, Xiao'erjing: , dng, Такәламаган Шамә; ug, تەكلىماكان قۇملۇقى, Täklimakan qumluqi; also spelled Taklimakan and Te ...

–

Populus euphratica ''Populus euphratica'', commonly known as the Euphrates poplar, desert poplar, diversiform-leaved poplar, or poplar diversifolia, is a species of poplar tree in the willow family. Description The Euphrates poplar is a medium-sized deciduous ...

Forests (2010) * China Altay (2010) *

Karakorum Karakorum (Khalkha Mongolian: Хархорум, ''Kharkhorum''; Mongolian Script:, ''Qaraqorum''; ) was the capital of the Mongol Empire between 1235 and 1260 and of the Northern Yuan dynasty in the 14–15th centuries. Its ruins lie in th ...

–

Pamir Pamir may refer to: Geographical features * Pamir Mountains, a mountain range in Central Asia ** Pamir-Alay, a mountain system in Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, part of the Pamir Mountains *A pamir (valley) is a high plateau or valley surro ...

(2010) * The Central Axis of

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

(including Beihai) (2013) * Wooden Structures of

Liao Dynasty The Liao dynasty (; Khitan language, Khitan: ''Mos Jælud''; ), also known as the Khitan Empire (Khitan: ''Mos diau-d kitai huldʒi gur''), officially the Great Liao (), was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that exi ...

– Wooden Pagoda of Yingxian County, Main Hall of Fengguo Monastery of Yixian County (2013) * Sites of the

Hongshan Culture The Hongshan culture () was a Neolithic culture in the West Liao river basin in northeast China. Hongshan sites have been found in an area stretching from Inner Mongolia to Liaoning, and dated from about 4700 to 2900 BC. The culture is named aft ...

Niuheliang Niuheliang () is a Neolithic archaeological site in Liaoning Province, Northeast China, along the middle and upper reaches of the Laoha River and the Yingjin River (presently on the border of Chaoyang and Jianping County). Discovered in 1983, Ni ...

, Hongshanhou, and Weijiawopu (2013) * Ancient Porcelain Kiln Site in China (2013) * Sanfang Qixiang (2013) * Ancient Tea Plantations of Jingmai Mountain in Pu'er (2013) * Western Xia Imperial Tombs (2013) * Dong Villages (2013) * Lingqu Canal (2013) * Diaolou Buildings and Villages for Tibetan and Qiang Ethnic Groups (2013) * Archaeological Sites of the Ancient Shu State:

Jinsha site Jinsha () is a Chinese archaeological site located in the Qingyang District of Chengdu, the capital of China's Sichuan Province. Along with Sanxingdui, the site is the first major discovery in China during the 21st century. It is listed on the UNES ...

and Joint Tombs of Boat-shaped Coffins in

Chengdu Chengdu (, ; simplified Chinese: 成都; pinyin: ''Chéngdū''; Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: ), alternatively romanized as Chengtu, is a sub-provincial city which serves as the capital of the Chinese pro ...

, Sichuan;

Sanxingdui Sanxingdui () is an archaeological site and a major Bronze Age culture in modern Guanghan, Sichuan, China. Largely discovered in 1986, following a preliminary finding in 1927, archaeologists excavated artifacts that radiocarbon dating placed in ...

site in

Guanghan Guanghan ( zh, s=广汉, t=廣漢, p=Guǎnghàn; formerly known as Hanchow) is a county-level city under the administration of Deyang in Sichuan province, southwest China, and only from Chengdu. The predominant industries are tourism, pharmaceut ...

, 29th – 5th century BC (2013) *

Xinjiang Xinjiang, SASM/GNC: ''Xinjang''; zh, c=, p=Xīnjiāng; formerly romanized as Sinkiang (, ), officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China (PRC), located in the northwest ...

Yardang (2015) * Dunhuang Yardangs (2015) * Tianzhushan (2015) * Jinggangshan–North Wuyishan (extension of Mount Wuyi) (2015) *

Shudao The Shudao (), or the Road(s) to Shu, is a system of mountain roads linking the Chinese province of Shaanxi with Sichuan (Shu), built and maintained since the 4th century BC. Technical highlights were the gallery roads, consisting of wooden plan ...

(2015) * Tulin– Guge Scenic and Historic Interest Areas (2015) * (2016) * The Chinese Section of the Silk Roads (2016) * Guancen Mountain – Luya Mountain (2017) *

Hulun Buir Hulunbuir or Hulun Buir ( mn, , ''Kölün buyir'', Mongolian Cyrillic: Хөлөнбуйр, ''Khölönbuir''; zh, s=呼伦贝尔, ''Hūlúnbèi'ěr'') is a region that is governed as a prefecture-level city in northeastern Inner Mongolia, China. ...

Landscape and Birthplace of Ancient Minority (2017) *

Qinghai Lake Qinghai Lake or Ch'inghai Lake, also known by other names, is the largest lake in China. Located in an endorheic basin in Qinghai Province, to which it gave its name, Qinghai Lake is classified as an alkaline salt lake. The lake has fluctuate ...

(2017) * Scenic and historic area of Sacred Mountains and Lakes ( Gang Rinpoche, Naimona'nyi,

Lake Manasarovar Lake Manasarovar (Sanskrit: मानसरोवर), also called Mapam Yutso (;) locally, is a high altitude freshwater lake fed by the Kailash Glaciers near Mount Kailash in Burang County, Ngari Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region, China. The ...

and Lhanag-tso) (2017) * Taihang Mountain (2017) * Vertical Vegetation Landscape and Volcanic Landscape in

Changbai Mountain Paektu Mountain (), also known as Baekdu Mountain and in China as Changbai Mountain ( zh, s=长白山, t=長白山; Manchu: Golmin Šanggiyan Alin), is an active stratovolcano on the Chinese–North Korean border. At , it is the highest moun ...

(2017) *

Badain Jaran Desert The Badain Jaran Desert () is a desert in China which spans the provinces of Gansu, Ningxia and Inner Mongolia. It covers an area of . By size it is the third largest desert in China. This desert is home to some of the tallest stationary dunes o ...

—Towers of Sand and Lakes (2019) *

Triassic Fossil Sites (2019) * Huangguoshu Scenic Area (2019)

Performance of China in UNESCO

References

External links

Official centre websiteOfficial sites websiteOfficial UNESCO World Heritage Centre website
{{Authority control China

World Heritage Sites A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

Cultural heritage of China Historic sites in China Protected areas of China