The Great Wall (1987)

The Great Wall, starting from the Shanhai Pass on the Bohai Bay in the east and ending at the Jiayu Pass of the Gansu Province in the west, is the world-renowned Chinese ancient building of the ten-thousand-li Great Wall, which passes through lofty mountains and high ranges as well as mountain creeks and valleys, stretching and undulating for 12,000-plus li (approximately 6,700 kilometers) and traversing seven provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions of North China. As early as in the Spring and Autumn Period, in order to keep the enemy out, various states built the Great Wall by taking advantage of natural barriers. After having unified whole China, Qin connected all those sections of defensive walls, to build up the ten-thousand-li Great Wall of a tremendous scale; which was expanded and reinforced later by various dynasties. Up till the Ming Dynasty (1368 to 1644), it had been reconstructed into today’s appearance look on the original foundation. Of an imposing boldness of vision, the Great Wall, one of the great projects in world history, was enlisted in the “World Cultural Heritage List” in 1987.

Imperial Palaces of Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang (1987,2004)

Imperial Palace, located in the center of Beijing Municipality, was also called the Forbidden City, and was the seat of the two Dynasties of Ming and Qing. A largest-scale and most-perfectly-preserved ancient building complex existing now in our country, it was first built from the forth year to the eighteenth year in the Yongle Period of the Ming Dynasty (1406-1420), and was later renovated and reconstructed many times with its original layout still retained. Covering a land of over 720,000 square meters, it has a floor space of approx 150,000 square meters with more than 9,000 houses and rooms; the surrounding palace wall is over 10m high in a length of 3km, with turrets in gorgeous style standing atop four wall corners and a moat of a width of 52m surrounding outside the wall. With an imposing and luxury appearance, the total building complex is of a broad and symmetrical layout and a splendid and brilliant interior and exterior decoration, being the cream of the ancient-time architectural art of our country. In 1987 it was enlisted in the “World Cultural Heritage List”. And on July 1st, 2004 the Shenyang Imperial Palace was also enlisted in the “World Heritage List” as an expanded item of the cultural heritage of the Imperial Palace of the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

Mount Taishan (1987)

Towering in Tai’an City, Shandong Province, called Dongyue (East Sacred Mountain) in ancient times by the alternative names of Mt. Daishan and Mt. Daizong, stretches and undulates for approx 200km. Rising 1,532m above sea level, its main peak Yuhuangding (Jade Emperor Summit) thrusts itself towards the sky, being magnificent and majestic. From foot to top of the mountain, there are over 30 scenic and historic attractions, such as Wangmu (Western Queen Mother) Pond, Doumu (Mother of the Dipper Stars) Palace, Jingshi (Stone with Sutra Inscription) Valley, and Hutian (World in Pot) Chamber along the central way; as well as the Heilong (Black Dragon) Pond, Shanzi (Fan) Cliff, Changshou (Longevity) Bridge, etc. along the western way. After both the central and west ways join together, it is the place called Zhongtianmen (Mid-way Heavenly Gate), then one will ascend the natural barrier of eighteen bends, and there will be the Nantianmen (South Heavenly Gate), Bixia (Azure Cloud) Temple, Zhanlu (Overlooking Shandong) Terrace and Riguan (Sun Watching) Peak. And the Riguan Peak is all the more a place of scenic interest to watch the sunrise atop it. In 1987, it was put in the “World Natural and Cultural Heritage List”.　

Mogao Caves (1987)

They are cut into the east slope cliff of the Mingsha (Sounding Sand) Mountain, Dunhuang City, Gansu Province, and are popularly called One Thousand Buddha Caves, being the largest Buddhist art treasury existing now in the world. First dug in the second year of the Jianyuan Period of Qin Dynasty (366), they were dug by later dynasties in succession. The caves are divided into five tiers from top to foot, sited upper and lower in good arrangement in proper sequence, covering a 1,600m length from north to south. In their form structure they are mainly of Buddhist caves, central pillar caves and overturned bracket top caves. There existing and numbered now are 492 caves, over 45,000 m2 of wall paintings and 3,000-plus color statues as well as 5 Tang and Song wooden-structure buildings. In 1900, more than 50,000 pieces of various Confucian classics, historical records, philosophical writings and miscellaneous works from Western Jin to Song Dynasties were discovered. Integrating architecture, painting and sculpture in its one combination, the Mogao are the richest-content cave art treasury of our country. In 1987 they were enlisted in the “World Cultural Heritage List”. 

Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor (1987)

Standing at the northern foot of Lishan Hill, Lintong District, Xi’an City, the Mausoleum was built from BC 246 to BC 208, with an existing tomb mound 40m high. The layout of the mausoleum imitates Xianyang, the contemporary capital of Qin, to be divided into two walls of internal one and external one, with the circumference of the internal wall 2.5km long in length and that of the external one 6.3km in length. Nestled on the eastern side of the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, the vault of worriers and horses is a large-scale funeral vault of the Qin Mausoleum, and was found in 1974. So far there are four vaults having been excavated, with a total area of over 25,000m2, which affords to bury a great amount of terracotta color-decoration worriers and horses at their life sizes that were used in then actual battles. The cultural relics unearthed amount to ten thousand pieces. In 1987 it was enlisted in the “World Cultural Heritage List”.

Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian (1987)

Located at the Longgu (Dragon Bone) Hill, Zhoukoudian, Fangshan District, Beijing, it is an important Paleolithic Age ruins of China. The excavation began in 1927, there were 3 integrated skulls and some residual bones found inside the cave, being the place where the fossils of Peking Man and Upper Cave Man were found. The Upper Cave Man represents the type of New Man dating back more than ten thousand years ago, being an important material object for the study of human evolution. After the founding of the PRC, there were new materials such as Peking Man fossil, chipped stone implement and fire-using remains discovered in succession, which are extremely valuable materials for the study of human development history and the primitive society history of China. It was ranked in the “World Cultural Heritage List” in 1987. 

Mount Huangshan (1990)

The bounded scope of the Huangshan Scenic and Historic Area totals 154km, with its outlying protected belt amounting to 142km; the peak forest inside the area is of a unique topography, and every peak is dangerously steep and loftily towering, which, matched with unpredictably changing mists and clouds, enables the natural beautiful scenery to change unendingly, and to structure its queer, grand, ever-changing and perilous spectacles. With 400-plus scenic sites inside the scenic area, it is well-known at home and abroad for its four “matchless” of queer pines, strange rocks, cloud sea and hot spring, being reputed as “No. 1 wonderful mountain under heaven”, In 1990, it was included in the “World Cultural Heritage List”.

 

Mountain Resort and its Outlying Temples, Chengde (1994)

Located in Chengde City Province, it is also called “Chengde”. Built from the 42nd year under the reign of Emperor Kangxi to the 44th year under the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1703-1790), it covers a land of 560,000-plus square meters with over 110 buildings, being the place for the emperors of the Qing Dynasty to avoid heat and handle political affairs in summer. It is divided into two parts of palatial area and garden scenic area, with a 10km long stone palatial wall surrounding in its periphery. The palatial area has four building complexes of the Principal Palace, East, Pine and Crane Hall and Hall of Pine Soughing from Myriad. The Tranquilly Satisfied and Sincerity Esteeming Hall of the Principal is of a totally nanmu structure, and all the grand ceremonies were held here. It is the largest ancient imperial garden existing now in our country. They were put in the “World Cultural Heritage List” in 1994.

Temple and Cemetery of Confucius and the Kong Family Mansion in Qufu (1994)

Situated in Qufu City Province, the Temple in Qufu is the earliest and largest temple in our country to offer sacrifice to Confucius. It covers a land of around 100,000m2 with 466 palaces and halls, and among its main buildings are the stele pavilions built in the two Dynasties of Jin and Yuan, the Kuiwen (Literary Writings) Pavilion built in the Ming Dynasty and the Hall of Great Accomplishment renovated in the Qing Dynasty. Neighboring on the Temple, the Kong is the dwelling complex of the lineal descendants of Confucius, the lords of derived sages. The Cemetery is the tomb yard of Confucius and his descendants, there are inscription steles erected by successive dynasties to eulogize Confucius. They were ranked in the “World Cultural Heritage List” in 1994. 

Ancient Building Complex in the Wudang Mountains (1994)

Towering in the Danjiangkou City, Hubei Province, the mountain was called Taihe in ancient times; with a periphery of 400km, it has scenic sites of seventy-two peaks, thirty-six crags and twenty-four creeks. The Tianzhu (Heavenly Pillar) Peak, the main peak, rises 1,612m above sea level, with queer peaks and perilous deep valleys as well as deep and secluded cave rooms. There is a huge ancient architectural complex belonging to the Taoist religion atop the mountain, which has mainly eight palaces, two Taoist temples, thirty-six nunneries and seventy-two crag temples. The Gold Hall built atop the peak in the Ming Dynasty is renowned for its being copper cast and gilded, and is one of the largest exquisite copper buildings existing now in our country. Wudangshan is the birthplace of the Wudang School Chinese Boxing. It was included in the “World Cultural Heritage List” in 1994. 

 

Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace, Lhasa (1994)

Located in Lhasa City Autonomous Regions, it is a famous palatial fort type architectural complex of our country, and is a famous temple. With an elevation of over 3,000m, it was built in memory of the wedding of the Tang-Dynasty Princess Wencheng and Tibetan King Songtsan Gambo, and has a history of over 1,300 years. Built against a hill, the magnificent and spectacular Potala Palace is 13-story high to 117m, and is entirely built of granite with flying eaves and gold roof as well as carved beams and painted girders, being an extraordinary sight and the most precious Tibetan religious, artistic and cultural treasury. In its interior it has palaces, Buddha halls, sutra studying rooms, resting palaces, stupa halls, courtyards and so on. The whole complex has towers superimposed tier upon tier in their loftiness and imposingness, which embodies the extinct Tibetan architectural characteristic features as well as a certain style of the fusion of the Han and Tibetan cultures. In 1994 it was inscribed in the “World Cultural Heritage List”; and in Nov 2000 and Dec 2001 the Jokhang and Lubu Linka were approved to be included in the “World Heritage List” as expanded items of the Temple of Tibetan Buddhism, TibetHistoric Ensemble of the Potala, Lhasa. Palace

 

Lushan National Park (1996)

Rising on the southern bank in the middle reaches of China’s No. 1 great River of Yangtze and by China’s first great fresh-water Lake of Poyang, it is a horst block mountain. With the great mountains, great rivers and great lakes integrated in its single total combination, it is world famous for its having been “magnificent, queer, perilous and elegant”; and is rich in its unique Lushan culture as well as is of important scientific value and aesthetic value. With an area of 302km2, the Lushan Scenic and Historic Area has an outlying protecting belt of 500km2. Having the unique Quaternary glacier remains, Mt Lushan is provided with rivers, lakes, slopes, peaks and multiple other geomorphologic categories, being reputed as geological park.

Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area (1996)

Standing southwest of Emeishan City, Sichuan Province, Mt Emei, an elevation of 3,099m, has been reputed as “Emei’s being elegant under heaven”. Said to be the site of Bodhisattva of Universal Benevolence to expound the texts of Buddhism, the place saw Buddhism flourishing with each passing day in the period of Tang and Song, with Buddhist monasteries and palaces covering every mountain here; there are over a hundred Buddhist niches and 40 caves, and moreover there are Wannian (Myriad Year) Temple, Baoguo (Serving the Country Worthily) Temple, Hongchun Plateau Qianfo (Thousand Buddha) Buddhist Monastery, Elephant Washing Pond, Gold Summit Huacang (Lotus Flower Sutra) Temple and other historic interest sites. Seated against riverside cliff of Qiluan (Phoenix Birching) Peak of Lingyun (Soaring to the Clouds) Mountain southeast of Leshan City, Sichuan Province, the Leshan Giant Buddha was completed from the first year of the Kaiyuan Period (713) to the nineteenth year of the Zhenyuan Period (803) of the Tang Dynasty, and has its head on a level with the mountain summit and its feet stepping on the river in a total height of 71m and shoulder width of 24m, hence its another name of Lingyun (Soaring to the Clouds) Giant Buddha, being the largest stone Buddha statue in the world. In 1996, it was inscribed in the “World Cultural and Natural Heritage List”.

Ancient City of Ping Yao (1997)

Sited in Pingyao County, Shanxi Province, the city began to be built in the period of King Xuanwang of the Western Zhou Dynasty (BC 827 to 782), and in the third year of the Hongwu Period of the Ming Dynasty the city was built into a square shape with a wall height of 12m and a  circumference of 6.4km in an area of 2.25km2; and has city defending facilities such as jar walls, battlements, arrow towers and turrets, as well as attached buildings such as Kuixing (God of Literature) Tower, Dianjiang (Calling the Muster Roll of Officers) Terrace and Temple of Lord Guan. Repaired and renovated in the two dynasties of Ming and Qing, it still preserves its early Ming formal system and structure. The streets, market towers and shops inside the city wall are still retained in their original formal system, which provides material objects for the studying of the city construction system in the Ming Dynasty. In 1997 it was included in the “World Cultural Heritage List”.

Classical Gardens of Suzhou (1997)

Dotted within the boundary of Suzhou proper, Jiangsu Province, the gardens of Suzhou, with the Humble Administrator’s Garden, Master-of-Nets Garden, Lingering Garden, Canglang Pavilion Garden, Lion Forest Garden and Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty serving as their typical examples, reflect the cream of garden architecture south of Yangtze in a concentrated way, to represent the architectural styles of the different periods of Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. By cleverly using of the garden-building skills and methods of comparison, setting off, scene contracting and scene borrowing as well as size changing, tiers coordinating, big seen in little and using the few to defeat the many, the classical gardens of Suzhou assemble the pavilions, terraces, towers, chambers, springs, rockeries, flowers and woods together to create a harmoniously coexisting dwelling environment of man with nature in the urban area, to occupy an un-replaceable important position in the history of world garden construction. In 1997, they were inscribed in the “World Cultural Heritage List”. And in Nov 2000, the 5 gardens of the Garden, Couple’s Garden Retreat, Canglang, Lion and Retreat and Reflection were approved to be included in the “World Heritage List” as the expanded items of the Classical of Suzhou.

Old Town of Lijiang (1997)

Situated in Lijiang Naxi Autonomous County, Yunnan Province, the Old Town of Lijiang, habitat of Naxi nationality, was first built in the period of late Song and early Yuan dynasties (late 12th century-mid 13th century) with an area of 1.6km2. There are Black Dragon Pond, Five Phoenixes Tower and other scenic and historic sites here,  with “Lijiang Man” stone found here after the founding of the PRC. Green mountains surround the ancient city, and the water from the Black Dragon Pond flows through the ancient town in three branches, which in turn drop into fine streams flowing into wall-surrounded households, to form an integral water system with the wells and springs dotted here and there. The Dongba pictographic characters, paintings, music, dance and Dongba classics, full of rich connotation, are well-known far and near. They are the precious material examples for studying the dwelling environment, local historical culture and ethnic folk custom of the Naxi Nationality. In 1997, it was inscribed in the “World Cultural Heritage List”.

Summer Palace, an Imperial Garden in Beijing (1998)

Located in northwestern suburbs of Beijing Proper, formerly the garden to a temporary dwelling palace of the Qing Dynasty. At first, it was constructed into the Golden in the Jin dynasty, while it was constructed into the Good in the Ming Dynasty. Reconstructed in the fifteenth year under the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1750), it was named Qingyi (Clean Ripple) Garden. In the fourteenth year under the reign of Emperor Guangxu (1888), Empress Dowager CiXi reconstructed it and renamed it into Summer. Covering a land of 2.9km, it has three fourths of its area under lake water. There are more than 3,000 palaces, halls, temples and garden buildings of various forms and types inside the garden, which are divided into three major activity areas for political affairs attending, dwelling and touring purposes. The whole garden, with the Longevity Hill as its center, is of blue hills and green waters with loftily towering chambers and long zigzag corridors in their splendid green and golden decoration with imposing vision thanks to the clever technique, which enables it to occupy an extremely position in domestic and overseas garden artistic history. In 1998 it was included in the “World Cultural Heritage List”.

Temple of Heaven: an Imperial Sacrificial Altar in Beijing (1998)

Lying in the southernmost part of Beijing, it was first built in the eighteenth year in the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty (1420), and was rebuilt and renovated in the Qing Dynasty, covering a land of about 2.7 million square meters. Among its main buildings are Qinian (Prayer for Good Harvest) Hall, Huan Qiu (Circular Mound Altar) and Huang Qiong Yu (Imperial Vault of Heaven), being the place for the emperors of the two Dynasties of Ming and Qing to offer sacrifice to heaven and pray for good harvest. It has two encircling walls, to form the internal and external altars, and the altar walls are round in the north and square in the south, to symbolize the round heaven and square earth. In front of the Huang Qiong Yu are the Echoing Wall and Three-sound Stone. The Temple is the joint name of the two altars of Huan Qiu and Qi Gu, they are the largest ancient sacrifice-offering building complex existing now in our country. In 1998 it was inscribed in the “World Cultural Heritage List”.

Mount Wuyi (1999)--Mount Wuyi (1999)

Standing in the southern suburbs of Wuyishan City, Fujian Province, it is a low mountain structured of red sandstone with an elevation of some 600m, being a concentration place of karst topographic landscape. There are thirty-six peaks, ninety-nine crags, Nine-bend Stream, Peach Blossom Fairland Cave, Flowing Fragrance Creek, Recumbent Dragon Pond, Dragon Howling Crag and other scenic spots as well as Chongyou Myriad Year Palace (Wuyi Palace), former address of Ziyang Academy of Classical Learning (Wuyi Fine Study) and inscriptions of successive dynasties on precipices. The Wuyishan State Key Natural Reserve is built in the bordering place among the three cities of Jianyang, Wuyishan and Guangze, and has been included in the international “Man and Biosphere” natural reserve network. The mountain was put in the “World Natural and Cultural Heritage List” in 1999.

Dazu Rock Carvings (1999)

Sited within the boundaries of Dazu, Chongqing, they were carved in the Tang, Five Dynasties and Song times, and were continued to be carved in the two Dynasties of Ming and Qing. Laid out in a fan zone in the southwestern, northwestern and northeastern parts of the county, they are distributed in 23 places; with 19 places such as Baoding Hill, North Hill, etc. having them fairly concentrated. Among them the statues on precipices of Baoding Hill are in the largest scale and most nicely sculptured. In addition to Buddha statues and Taoist statues, there are also the statues of all the three of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism jointly in one and the same shrine cave, with the Buddhist statues occupying the lion share. There are stone carvings inside the caves, which are of strong real life flavor and multiple artistic treatment skills, and are rich in local colors. They were inscribed in the “World Cultural Heritage List” in 1999.