UNESCO World Heritage Sites in China are:

1. Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang
2. Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor
3. Mogao Caves
4. Mount Taishan
5. Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian
6. The Great Wall
7. Mount Huangshan
8. Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area
9. Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area
10. Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area
11. Ancient Building Complex in the Wudang Mountains
12. Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace, Lhasa
13. Mountain Resort and its Outlying Temples, Chengde
14. Temple and Cemetery of Confucius and the Kong Family Mansion in Qufu
15. Lushan National Park
16. Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area
17. Ancient City of Ping Yao
18. Classical Gardens of Suzhou
19. Old Town of Lijiang
20. Summer Palace, an Imperial Garden in Beijing
21. Temple of Heaven: an Imperial Sacrificial Altar in Beijing
22. Dazu Rock Carvings
23. Mount Wuyi
24. Ancient Villages in Southern Anhui – Xidi and Hongcun
25. Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties
26. Longmen Grottoes
27. Mount Qingcheng and the Dujiangyan Irrigation System
28. Yungang Grottoes
29. Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas
30. Capital Cities and Tombs of the Ancient Koguryo Kingdom
31. Historic Centre of Macao
32. Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries – Wolong, Mt Siguniang and Jiajin Mountains
33. Yin Xu
34. Kaiping Diaolou and Villages
35. South China Karst
36. Fujian Tulou
37. Mount Sanqingshan National Park
38. Mount Wutai
39. China Danxia
40. Historic Monuments of Dengfeng in “The Centre of Heaven and Earth”
41. West Lake Cultural Landscape of Hangzhou
42. Chengjiang Fossil Site
43. Site of Xanadu
44. Cultural Landscape of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces
45. Xinjiang Tianshan
46. Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang’an-Tianshan Corridor
47. The Grand Canal
48. Tusi Sites
49. Hubei Shennongjia
50. Zuojiang Huashan Rock Art Cultural Landscape
51. Kulangsu, a Historic International Settlement
52. Qinghai Hoh Xil
53. Fanjingshan
54. Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City
55. Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China (Phase I)
56. Quanzhou: Emporium of the World in Song-Yuan China
57. Cultural Landscape of Old Tea Forests of the Jingmai Mountain in Pu’er

> View other UNESCO World Heritage Sites

UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage Sites comprise 1,199 properties.

World heritage property is a legacy from the past, that people live with today, and pass on to future generations.

The cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of knowledge and inspiration.

UNESCO seeks to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world that are considered to be of outstanding value to humanity. This is embodied in an international treaty known as the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, adopted by UNESCO in 1972.

A World Heritage Site is an area or landmark designated by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, scientific or other forms of significance. The sites have legal protection by an international convention.

A World Heritage Site is nominated by their host country and determined by the international committee to be a unique landmark which is geographically and historically identifiable and having a special cultural or physical significance. World Heritage Sites are usually ones with ancient features, historical structures, buildings, cities, deserts, forests, islands, lakes, monuments or mountains.

The site may signify a remarkable accomplishment of people and serve as evidence of intellectual history or a place of unparralled natural beauty.

The sites are intended for practical conservation for posterity, which otherwise would be subject to risk from human or animal trespassing, unmonitored, uncontrolled or unrestricted access, or threat from local administrative negligence. Sites are demarcated by UNESCO as protected zones.

The programme catalogues, names, and conserves sites of outstanding cultural or natural importance.

The work began with the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World’s Cultural and Natural Heritage. The convention was adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO on 16 November 1972. Since then, 195 states have ratified the convention, making it one of the most widely recognised international agreements and a popular cultural programme.