Brief Introduction of China World Heritage Attractions

      One of the most renowned projects of the world. Construction of the wall began around the 7^th-4^th century BC during the Spring and Autumn Period. At that time, feudal states built walls for self-defense against nomadic tribes. In 211 BC, Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of the Qin dynasty, after unifying China, had the walls linked up, reinforced and extended. Renovations were carried out with local geographic conditions during the succeeding dynasties, creating many enchanting sights. The total length of the Great Wall is 6,700 km, traversing 8 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions. Its historic and strategic importance is matched only by its architectural value.

      In December 1987, the Great Wall was listed by UNESCO in its World Heritage.

    As known as the former Forbidden City, built between 1406 and 1420 in the center of Beijing city proper. It had been the imperial residence of 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing (1368-1911 AD) dynasties. One of the largest and best-preserved palace complexes in the world, it has become the Palace Museum since the 1950s. Here are collected around a million rare and valuable objects. Covering an area of 720,000square meters, the Palace has a total floor space of some 150,000 square meters with 9,999 room units. The Throne Hall--Hall of Supreme Harmony --is China's tallest ancient palace building of timber, where during the reign of the Ming and Qing emperors all the important national ceremonies took place. With yellow tiles over red walls, gilded doors behind vermilion colonnades, and carved white marble balustrades around, the palace halls in symmetrical array represent the acme of China's ancient architectural art. About one million pieces of rare cultural relics and art works are housed in the museum.

      In December 1987, the Palace Museum was put on UNESCO World Heritage.

      In 1929, a well-preserved skull of a primitive man was excavated on Dragon Bone Hill near the town of Zhoukoudian in the suburbs of Beijing. Scientific identification showed that the discovery belonged to a new type of ape man who lived about five hundred thousand years ago. This type of man was later named by anthropologists Homo erectus Pekinensis or Peking Man. The discovery represents a milestone in the study of paleoanthropology. Up to the present, fossil remains of Peking Man unearthed at Zhoukoudian belonged to upwards of 40 persons. They provide important material for anthropological and paleonological studies.  In December 1987, UNESCO listed it as a world heritage site.

      The Temple of Heaven in the southern part of Beijing occupies an area of 270 hectares. Started to be built in 1420, it was the place where the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties worshipped heaven and prayed for abundant harvests. The Temple consists of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, the Imperial Vault of Heaven, the Circular Mound Altar, the Echo Wall and the Thrice-Reechoing Stone. Of exquisite architectural workmanship, the Temple of Heaven is the largest existing ancient architectdural group for worshipping in China.

      15 kilometers northwest of Beijing city center, the Summer Palace is one of China's largest and best-preserved imperial gardens. It occupies an area of 290 hectares, four-fifths of which are water surface. It is a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design, integrating the natural landscape of hills and open water with manmade features such as pavilions, halls, palaces, temples and bridges into a harmonious and aesthetically exceptional whole.

      In 1998, the Summer Palace was added to UNESCO's World Heritage List.

      The Mausoleum of the first Emperor of the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC) is located 36 kilometers east of Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi Province, and 5 kilometers east of Lintong County. The entire mausoleum occupies an area of eight square kilometers and the mound stands 55 meters high. It is the first and largest imperial mausoleum in China.

      Since 1974, three vaults containing terra-cotta figures have been found 1.5 kilometers east of the mausoleum. Eight thousand terra-cotta warriors, hundreds of chariots and ten thousand pieces of actual weaponry have been unearthed from the three vaults. The terra cortta figures of warriors and horses are simple in style, but highly realistic and animated. And each warrior has different features and facial expression. In 1980, two sets of large bronze chariots and horses were excavated west of the mausoleum. Discovery of the buried legion has aroused great interest all over the world, making it "the eighth wonder of the world".

       In December 1987, UNESCO listed it as a World Heritage Site.

      The Temple, Cemetery and Family Mansion of Confucius, a great Chinese philosopher, political thinker and educator of the 6^th-5^th century BC, is located in Qufu, Shandong Province. The Temple was first built in his commemoration in 478 BC, a year after Confucius death. It was constantly rebuilt and expanded in succeeding dynasties. Today, it comprises more than 100 buildings. The Cemetery contains Confucius' tomb, and the remains of more than 100,000 of his descendants. The Family Mansion was the place where Confucius direct descendants lived. It consists of halls, office buildings, studies, residential buildings and corridors with 463 halls and rooms all told. This complex of monuments at Qufu has maintained its outstanding artistic and historic character due to the devotion of successive Chinese emperors over more than 2,000 years. In December 1994, it was listed by UNESCO as World Cultural Heritage.

      Situated in the middle of Shandong Province, the majestic Mount Tai is one of the national parks, and the first of the Five Sacred Mountains in China. It covers an area of 426 square kilometers. The main peak is 1,545 meters above sea level. In ancient China, many new emperors came here to perform grand sacrificial ceremonies in worship of Heaven. There are quite a lot of historical relics, the Wangmu Chi (Heavenly Queen Pool), Hongmen Gong (Red Gate Palace), Nan Tianmen (South Gate to Heaven), Bixia Ci (Azure Cloud Temple) and stone carvings from various dynasties.

   In December 1987, UNESCO listed Mount Tai in the World Heritage.

      One of China's ten leading scenic spots and the world's extant largest imperial garden where emperors of the Qing Dynasty (1644 -1911) used to come in summer to escape heat and engaged in political activities, the resort is also known as the "Ligong of Chengde" or temporary palace away from the capital. Built in the years between 1703 and 1790 and located in a hill-encircled basin, it covers an area of 5.64 million square meters and boasts 120 groups of building, including terraces, pavilions and towers characteristics of gardening architecture. Seventy-two scenic spots bear inscriptions by Emperors Kangxi and Qianlong. The gardens are full of natural interest, blending the cream of ancient gardening art of both the north and south of China.

      In December 1994 the Mountain Resort was listed by UNESCO in its World Heritage.

    Suzhou, situated in eastern Jiangsu Province, enjoys worldwide renown for her classical gardens. It has a history of 2,500 years. Classical Chinese garden design, which seeks to recreate natural landscapes in miniature, is nowhere better illustrated than in the four gardens in Suzhou -- Pavilion of the Surging Waves, Lion Grove, Garden of the Humble Administrator and Garden to Linger In. They are universally acknowledged to be masterpieces of the genre. Dating from the 16^th-18^th centuries, the gardens reflect the profound metaphysical importance of natural beauty in Chinese culture in their meticulous design.

    In 1997 the Classical Gardens of Suzhou were added to UNESCO's World Heritage List.

      Pingyao is an exceptionally well preserved example of a traditional Han Chinese city, founded in the 14^th century. Its urban fabric is an epitome of the evolution of architectural styles and town planning in imperial China over five centuries. Of special interest are the imposing buildings associated with banking, for which Pingyao was the center for the whole of China in the 19^th and early 20^th centuries.

      In 1997 the Ancient City of Pingyao was listed by UNESCO in its World Heritage.

      Situated in southern Anhui Province, Huangshan Mountain is designated as a national park, celebrated for having all the grandeur and beauty of mountain scenery. Its graceful pine trees, grotesque rocks, sea of clouds and hot springs have won the reputation of four unique views. The scenic attractions include two lakes, three waterfalls, 24 streams and 72 peaks. Its main peak is 1,860 meters above sea level. In December 1990 Huangshan Mountain was listed in World Heritage by the UNESCO.

Mt. Emei and Leshan Giant Buddha

      Situated at the confluence of Minjiang River, Qingyi River and Dadu River, on the western slop of Lingyun Mountain east of Leshan city, the sitting giant Buddha, Meitreya is carved into a cliff overlooking the three rivers. As the popular saying goes: "The mountain is a Buddha, the Buddha is a mountain," it is also the biggest stone Buddha in the world. Carving started in 713 under the Tang Dynasty, and lasted until its completion in 803. It is 71 meters tall. Its shoulders are 24 meters wide, and its head is 11.7 meters high. Its ears are seven meters long and its nose, 5.6 meters long. Its ear hole can accommodate two men standing abreast. Its instep can hold more than 100 seated people.

      In December 1996, Mt. Emei and Leshan Giant Buddha were added to UNESCO's World Heritage list.

      Located on the Moburi Mountain northwest of Lhasa city, the palace is well-known as a palace and fortress. It is the essence of Tibetan architecture. It was built in the seventh century by King Songtsan Gambo for his bride, the Han nationality Princess Wen Cheng who was sent to him by the Tang court. The ancient regal complex is a rare example of architecture in traditional Tibetan style. Covering an area of 41 hectares, its stone-and-wood main building has 13 stories, measuring 110 meters in height. The fine palace roofs are covered with gilded tiles of bronze. The Potala is composed of the Red Palace and the White Palace. The former is mainly for religious affairs, the latter for politics and daily life.

      In December 1994, Potala Palace was listed by UNESCO in its world Heritage.

      A spectacular area stretching over more than 264 square kilometers in Zhangjiajie, Hunan Province, the site consists of three parts: the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Shuyi Valley and Tianzi Mountain. It is distinguished by more than 3,000 narrow sandstone pillars and peaks, many over 200 meters high. Between the Peaks lie ravines and gorges with streams, pools and waterfalls, some 40 caves, as well as two large natural bridges. In addition to the striking beauty of its landscape, the region is also noted for the fact that it shelters a number of endangered plant and animal species. In December 1992, Wulingyuan Scenic Area was included in the list of World Natural Heritage by UNESCO.

      Encompassing an area of about 620 square kilometers, it lies in Nanping County in northern Sichuan Province. It is a deep valley more than 40 kilometers long in which there are nine Tibetan villages; hence the name. Secluded and uninhabited, it has a variety of natural scenery -- lakes, waterfalls, snowy mountains and luxuriant green forests. In the valley, there are one hundred lakes of various size and shape. In Wuhua Hai (Five Flower Sea), waters appear in five colors, presenting a marvelous wonder of nature. 100-meter wide Nuorilang Waterall's 30-meter drop is a spectacular view. The waters here are crystal clear and occasionally one can see fish swim in the lake while birds fly in the blue sky. Primitive, simple and uninhabited, it is a fairyland gifted by nature.

      In 1992 Jiuzhaigou was put on UNESCO Hereitage List.

Lushan National Park

       Mount Lushan in northern Jiangxi Province, occupies an area of 300 square kilometers. Buddhist and Taoist temples, along with landmarks of Confucianism, where the most eminent masters taught, blend well into a strikingly beautiful landscape which has inspired countless artists who developed the aesthetic approach to nature found in Chinese culture.

      In December 1996, Lushan National Park was included in the list of World Natural Heritage by UNESCO.

      The old Town of Lijiang in northwest Yunnan Province is 600 km from Kunming. Adapted itself harmoniously to the uneven topography of this key commercial and strategic site, it has retained an historic townscape of high quality and authenticity. Its architecture is noteworthy for the blending of elements from several cultures that have come together over many centuries. Lijiang also possesses an ancient water-supply system of great complexity and ingenuity that is still functioning effectively. The home mainly of the Naxi nationality people, Lijiang is the Naxi Autonomous County seat.

       In 1997 the Old Town of Lijiang was put on UNESCO Heritage List.

      The Complex consists of palaces and temples forming the nucleus of secular and religious buildings exemplifying the architectural and artistic achievements of the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties of China. Situated in the scenic valleys and on the slopes of the Wudang mountains in Hubei Province, the site, built as an organized complex during the Ming dynasty (14^th-17^th century), contains Taoist buildings from as early as the 7^th century, and represents the highest standards of Chinese art and architecture over a period of nearly one thousand years.

      In 1994, it was included in the list of World Heritage by UNESCO.

      Commonly called "Thousand-Buddha Caves" the Grottoes are located at the eastern foot of the Mingsha (Singing Sand) Mountain, 25 kilometers southeast of Dunhuang City, Gansu Province. The five-tier grottoes extended 1,600 meters. Carving began in 366 AD. There are 492 caves with some 45,0000 square meters of murals, more than 2,400 painted sculptures, over 4,000 flying apsarases, 5 wooden structures of the Tang and the Song Dynasties, and thousands of lotus-shaped pillars and floral paving tiles. A gigantic, elegant palace of art, the whole grotto complex is the world's largest, best-preserved treasure house of Buddhist scriptures, sculptures, murals, and architectural designs. It has long enjoyed the reputation of being the Bright Pearl of the Oriental Art, arousing the keen interest of historians, archaeologists and students of religion and art history. UNESCO entered it in the List of World Heritage in 1987