Park of China
Cultural 42Natural 15Mixed 4
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in China, by year of inscription.
- Mount Taishan 泰山 Mount Tai in Shandong Province was the object of an imperial cult for nearly 2,000 years. Its temples and inscriptions sit in harmony with the natural landscape.
- The Great Wall (includes Badaling Great Wall, Beidaihe, Qinhuangdao) 长城 The Great Wall is a vast defensive system across northern China. Built from the Qin period by linking earlier fortifications, it was extended by successive dynasties and reached its greatest extent under the Ming.
- Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang (includes The Forbidden City (Palace Museum), Beijing, Mukden Palace, Shenyang) 明清故宫（北京故宫、沈阳故宫） The Imperial Palaces comprise the Forbidden City in Beijing and the Imperial Palace in Shenyang. They were the seats of power of the Ming and Qing dynasties.
- Mogao Caves 莫高窟 The Mogao Caves near Dunhuang in Gansu Province lie on the Silk Road. Their 492 cave temples hold sculptures and wall paintings spanning about 1,000 years of Buddhist art.
- Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor 秦始皇陵及兵马俑坑 The mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang lies near Xi'an in Shaanxi Province, laid out to mirror the capital Xianyang. The surrounding pits contain thousands of life-size terracotta warriors.
- Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian 周口店北京人遗址 The Zhoukoudian site lies south-west of Beijing. It yielded remains of Peking Man (Homo erectus) with stone tools, as well as later Homo sapiens remains.
- Mount Huangshan 黄山 Huangshan in southern Anhui Province is known for its granite peaks, pines, seas of cloud and hot springs. It has long inspired Chinese painters and poets.
- Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area 九寨沟风景名胜区 Jiuzhaigou Valley in northern Sichuan Province is known for its tiered lakes, waterfalls and karst landforms. Its varied forest ecosystems shelter rare animals, including the giant panda.
- Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area 黄龙风景名胜区 Huanglong in north-western Sichuan Province is noted for its travertine pools, snow-capped peaks, glaciers and hot springs, and shelters rare species including the giant panda.
- Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area 武陵源风景名胜区 Wulingyuan in north-western Hunan Province is dominated by more than 3,000 sandstone pillars, with ravines, streams, caves and natural bridges between them.
- Mountain Resort and its Outlying Temples, Chengde 承德避暑山庄及其周围寺庙 The Mountain Resort in Chengde, Hebei Province, was the Qing emperors' summer residence. Its palaces, gardens and the surrounding temples blend several architectural styles.
- Temple and Cemetery of Confucius and the Kong Family Mansion in Qufu 曲阜孔庙、孔林和孔府 The Temple, Cemetery and Family Mansion of Confucius stand at Qufu in Shandong Province. They commemorate Confucius and his descendants and were rebuilt and expanded over the centuries.
- Ancient Building Complex in the Wudang Mountains 武当山古建筑群 The Wudang Mountains complex in Hubei Province consists of Taoist palaces and temples of the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, laid out in harmony with the mountain landscape.
- Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace, Lhasa 拉萨布达拉宫历史建筑群 The Potala Palace stands on Red Mountain in Lhasa, Tibet, at about 3,700 m. It was the winter palace of the Dalai Lamas and is a symbol of Tibetan Buddhism.
- Lushan National Park 庐山国家公园 Mount Lushan in northern Jiangxi Province holds Buddhist and Taoist temples and Confucian academies, and its scenery inspired generations of Chinese artists and scholars.
- Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area (includes Mount Emei, Leshan Giant Buddha) 峨眉山—乐山大佛 Mount Emei in Sichuan Province has been a Buddhist site since the 1st century. At its foot, the Leshan Giant Buddha, carved in the Tang dynasty, stands about 71 m high.
- Old Town of Lijiang 丽江古城 The Old Town of Lijiang in Yunnan Province follows the local terrain, with streets and waterways woven together. Its architecture combines Naxi and other cultural traditions.
- Ancient City of Ping Yao 平遥古城 Pingyao in Shanxi Province, founded in the 14th century, is a well-preserved traditional Han Chinese walled city, noted for its Ming and Qing banking buildings.
- Classical Gardens of Suzhou 苏州古典园林 The Classical Gardens of Suzhou are masterpieces of Chinese garden design. The nine inscribed gardens date from the 11th to 19th centuries and recreate natural landscapes in miniature.
- Summer Palace, an Imperial Garden in Beijing 北京皇家园林—颐和园 The Summer Palace in north-west Beijing, first built in 1750, combines hills and a lake with pavilions, halls and bridges. It is a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design.
- Temple of Heaven: an Imperial Sacrificial Altar in Beijing 北京皇家祭坛—天坛 The Temple of Heaven in Beijing, founded in the early 15th century, was where Ming and Qing emperors made sacrifices to Heaven. Its layout expresses the relationship between earth and heaven.
- Mount Wuyi 武夷山 Mount Wuyi in northern Fujian Province is a key area for biodiversity in south-east China. The Nine Bend River gorges also hold sites linked to the spread of Neo-Confucianism.
- Dazu Rock Carvings 大足石刻 The Dazu Rock Carvings in Chongqing are a series of cliff sculptures from the 9th to 13th centuries. They cover religious and secular subjects and reflect everyday life of the period.
- Mount Qingcheng and the Dujiangyan Irrigation System (includes Mount Qingcheng, Dujiangyan Irrigation System) 青城山—都江堰 Mount Qingcheng and the Dujiangyan Irrigation System are near Chengdu in Sichuan, China. Dujiangyan, begun in the 3rd century BC, still regulates the Min River and irrigates the Chengdu Plain, and Mount Qingcheng is a noted Taoist mountain.
- Ancient Villages in Southern Anhui – Xidi and Hongcun 皖南古村落—西递、宏村（2000年） Xidi and Hongcun are two traditional villages in southern Anhui, China, which preserve Ming and Qing dwellings, ancestral halls and water systems. They represent a type of rural settlement that has largely disappeared.
- Longmen Grottoes 龙门石窟 The Longmen Grottoes are at Luoyang in Henan, China. They hold the largest and most impressive collection of Chinese Buddhist art of the late Northern Wei and Tang dynasties.
- Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (includes Ming Tombs, Zhongshan (Purple Mountain), Nanjing, Shenyang) 明清皇家陵寝 The Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties are the burial grounds of emperors of the two dynasties; this extension added three Qing imperial tombs in Liaoning. The tombs are sited according to traditional geomantic ideas and reflect imperial ritual.
- Yungang Grottoes 云岗石窟 The Yungang Grottoes are at Datong in Shanxi, China, with 252 caves and some 51,000 statues carved from the later 5th century. They are an outstanding achievement of early Chinese Buddhist cave art.
- Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas 云南三江并流保护区 The Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas lie in north-western Yunnan, China, where the Jinsha, Lancang and Nu rivers run side by side through deep gorges. The mountainous area has exceptionally rich biodiversity.
- Capital Cities and Tombs of the Ancient Koguryo Kingdom 高句丽王城、王陵及贵族墓葬 The site includes the remains of three cities and 40 tombs in Jilin and Liaoning, China, 14 of them imperial, from the Koguryo kingdom. They reflect the culture and fortification methods of this ancient state.
- Historic Centre of Macao 澳门历史城区 The Historic Centre of Macao records the meeting of Chinese and Western cultures; it was under Portuguese administration from the mid-16th century to 1999. Its streets, churches, squares and fortifications combine Chinese and European styles.
- Yin Xu 殷墟 Yin Xu, near Anyang in Henan, China, is the capital of the late Shang dynasty, dating from about 1300 to 1046 BCE. Its palace and temple area, royal tombs and inscribed oracle bones are key sources on early Chinese civilisation.
- Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries - Wolong, Mt Siguniang and Jiajin Mountains (includes Mount Siguniang and the Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries, Mount Qingcheng, Xiling Snow Mountain, Mount Tiantai, Qionglai) 四川大熊猫栖息地 The Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries cover Wolong, Mount Siguniang and the Jiajin Mountains, 924,500 ha in seven nature reserves and several scenic parks. They are home to more than 30% of the world's pandas.
- Kaiping Diaolou and Villages 开平碉楼与村落 The Kaiping Diaolou and Villages are in Guangdong, China. The diaolou are multi-storey defensive village houses mixing Chinese and Western styles, built with money from overseas Chinese and reflecting the history of the emigrant region.
- South China Karst (includes Stone Forest of Lunan, Libo and the Zhangjiang River, Furong River, Wulong, Guilin and the Li River, Mount Jinfo, Wuyang River) 中国南方喀斯特 South China Karst spreads across Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi and Chongqing and is a leading example of humid tropical to subtropical karst. It includes stone forests, tower karst, peak clusters and large caves.
- Fujian Tulou 福建土楼 Fujian Tulou comprises 46 earthen buildings constructed between the 15th and 20th centuries in south-western Fujian, China. These large circular or square communal dwellings reflect the needs of clan living and defence.
- Mount Sanqingshan National Park 三清山国家公园 Mount Sanqingshan National Park in north-eastern Jiangxi, China, covers 22,950 ha. Its granite pillars and peaks, set among forests and mist, form a distinctive landscape.
- Mount Wutai 五台山 Mount Wutai in Shanxi, China, is a sacred Buddhist mountain named for its five flat peaks, with 41 monasteries. Its buildings and cultural landscape show the long history of Buddhism in China.
- Historic Monuments of Dengfeng in “The Centre of Heaven and Earth” (includes Mount Song, Shaolin Temple) 登封 “天地之中”历史古迹 The Historic Monuments of Dengfeng lie at the foot of Mount Songshan in Henan, China, regarded as the central sacred mountain. The eight groups include the Shaolin pagoda forest, Songyang Academy and the Observatory, reflecting ritual, religious and scientific traditions.
- China Danxia (includes Mount Danxia, Chishui Scenic Area, Jinhu Scenic Area, Mount Lang (Langshan), Mount Longhu (Dragon and Tiger Mountain), Guifeng (Turtle Peak), Mount Jianglang) 中国丹霞 Danxia landforms develop on red continental sedimentary rocks through uplift and erosion, and this series includes six areas in southern China. Their red cliffs, rock pillars and gorges illustrate how such landscapes develop.
- West Lake Cultural Landscape of Hangzhou 杭州西湖文化景观 The West Lake Cultural Landscape of Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China, consists of the lake and the hills on three sides. It has long inspired poets, scholars and painters and influenced garden design in East Asia.
- Chengjiang Fossil Site 澄江化石遗址 The Chengjiang Fossil Site covers 512 ha in Yunnan, China, and preserves an early Cambrian marine community from about 530 million years ago. The exceptionally preserved fossils are key evidence for the Cambrian explosion of life.
- Site of Xanadu 元上都遗址 The Site of Xanadu in Inner Mongolia, China, contains the remains of Kublai Khan's capital, designed by his Chinese adviser Liu Bingzhong. The city and surrounding grassland reflect the meeting of nomadic and agricultural cultures.
- Cultural Landscape of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces 红河哈尼梯田文化景观 The Honghe Hani Rice Terraces cover 16,603 ha in southern Yunnan, China, with terraces cascading down the mountain slopes. The Hani and other peoples developed a farming system linking forests, villages, terraces and water.
- Xinjiang Tianshan (includes Heavenly Lake of Tianshan, Tomur Grand Canyon) 新疆天山 Xinjiang Tianshan comprises four components, Tomur, Kalajun-Kuerdening, Bayinbuluke and Bogda, totalling 606,833 ha. It is a mountain ecosystem in arid Central Asia with clear vertical zones of vegetation.
- Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor (includes Xi’an, Luoyang, Maijishan Grottoes) 丝绸之路：长安—天山廊道的路网 This 5,000 km section of the Silk Roads runs from Chang'an and Luoyang in China to the Zhetysu region of Central Asia, with sites in China, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
- The Grand Canal (includes Beijing, Tianjin, Shugang and Slender West Lake, Yangzhou, Suzhou, Hangzhou) 大运河 The Grand Canal is a vast waterway system in the eastern plains of China, running from Beijing to Zhejiang and historically carrying grain and goods between north and south. It is one of the largest and longest-used canals in the world.
- Tusi Sites 土司遗址 The Tusi Sites lie in the mountains of south-western China and contain remains of domains whose chiefs were appointed by the central government. They illustrate the Tusi system from the Yuan to the Qing dynasties.
- Zuojiang Huashan Rock Art Cultural Landscape (includes Huashan, Ningming) 左江花山岩画文化景观 The Zuojiang Huashan Rock Art Cultural Landscape lies on steep cliffs in south-western Guangxi, China, with 38 rock art sites showing the life and rituals of the Luoyue people. The paintings date from about the 5th century BC to the 2nd century AD.
- Hubei Shennongjia 湖北神农架 Hubei Shennongjia in Hubei, China, has two parts: Shennongding/Badong in the west and Laojunshan in the east. It is an important area of mountain forest biodiversity in central China.
- Qinghai Hoh Xil 青海可可西里 Qinghai Hoh Xil lies in the north-eastern part of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, one of the largest and highest plateaus in the world. Its cold grassland and lakes are an important habitat and calving ground for the Tibetan antelope and other plateau animals.
- Kulangsu, a Historic International Settlement 鼓浪屿：历史国际社区 Kulangsu is a small island at the mouth of the Jiulong River opposite Xiamen, China, and became an international settlement after Xiamen opened as a trading port in 1843. It keeps buildings that blend Chinese and Western styles and a multicultural way of life.
- Fanjingshan 梵净山 Fanjingshan in the Wuling Mountains of Guizhou, China, rises from 500 to 2,570 m and is an isolated mountain forest. It has rich biodiversity, including endemic species such as the Guizhou snub-nosed monkey.
- Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City 良渚古城遗址 The Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City, near Hangzhou in Zhejiang, China, date from about 3300 to 2300 BCE and are an early Neolithic city on the lower Yangtze. The city, water control system and cemeteries show a stratified society based on rice farming.
- Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China 中国黄（渤）海候鸟栖息地 The Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf coast of China were inscribed in two phases and have 12 components. Their intertidal mudflats are vital stopover sites on the East Asian-Australasian Flyway.
- Quanzhou: Emporium of the World in Song-Yuan China 泉州：宋元中国的世界海洋商贸中心 Quanzhou in Fujian, China, was a major maritime trading port in the Song and Yuan periods, from the 10th to the 14th century. The series includes temples, mosques, harbour structures and kiln sites that bear witness to maritime trade and diverse cultures.
- Cultural Landscape of Old Tea Forests of the Jingmai Mountain in Pu’er 普洱景迈山古茶林文化景观 Jingmai Mountain, in Pu'er, Yunnan, China, has been cultivated for tea by the Blang and Dai peoples for a thousand years. Its old tea forests combine with villages and woodland and represent Chinese tea culture and an integrated agroforestry system.
- Badain Jaran Desert - Towers of Sand and Lakes 巴丹吉林沙漠——沙山湖泊群 The Badain Jaran Desert is on the Alashan Plateau in Inner Mongolia, China, a hyper-arid region with some of the tallest stationary sand dunes in the world and many lakes among them. The landscape is shaped by wind, groundwater and geology.
- Beijing Central Axis: A Building Ensemble Exhibiting the Ideal Order of the Chinese Capital (includes The Forbidden City (Palace Museum), Beijing, The Temple of Heaven, Beijing) 北京中轴线：中国理想都城秩序的杰作 The Beijing Central Axis runs north to south through the old city of Beijing, linking former imperial palaces and gardens, ritual buildings and civic structures including the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven and Bell and Drum Towers. It expresses the planning order of the traditional Chinese capital.
- Xixia Imperial Tombs 西夏陵 The Xixia Imperial Tombs lie at the foot of the Helan Mountains near Yinchuan in Ningxia. They form the imperial necropolis of the Tangut-founded Xixia Dynasty.
- Jingdezhen Handicraft Porcelain Industry Sites 景德镇手工瓷业遗存 The Jingdezhen sites in Jiangxi Province comprise kilns, workshops and related remains. They show the whole handicraft porcelain process, from raw material extraction to firing and trade, between the 10th and 19th centuries.