China & UNESCO

2017 marks the 30th anniversary of the Great Wall and the Terracotta Warriors becoming UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In fact, it is the 30th anniversary of the first five of China’s historical and natural wonders to make it onto the list. Today there are 50 on there, the second highest number of any country (after Italy with 51), with another 54 on the list for consideration.
With China’s extensive, rich and turbulent history and diverse and unique landscapes it isn’t much of a surprise that there are so many historical and natural sites that have been honoured with the UNESCO World Heritage Site title. Some of them are big names – the Great Wall and Terracotta Warriors alongside the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven and Summer Palace in Beijing, the Panda sanctuaries of Sichuan and the magical landscapes of the Li River, but others are much lesser known. Here is a guide to our favourites…

Mogao Caves (added 1987)
Located in the desert near Dunhuang, The Cave of the Thousand Buddhas, the Mogao Caves have existed since the 4th century, when pilgrims, monks and scholars making their way along the Silk Road needed a place to worship. Harnessing the money of the many merchants and traders who passed by, the complex developed and filled with thousands of intricate and beautiful Buddha images and murals. By the time the Tang Dynasty were ruling China in the 7th century and Buddhism was at its peak, there were 1,000 cave temples in use. In the 14th century it was walled up and forgotten about, until a monk stumbled across it in 1900. The darkness and dry air preserved the murals almost perfectly, allowing us access to a 1,000 years’ worth of Buddhist art. The caves were also full of ancient manuscripts and silk paintings, one of the world’s greatest archaeological discoveries.

Mountain Resort, Chengde (added 1994)
In the forested hills north of Beijing, Chengde’s Mountain Resort was the summer playground of the Qing Dynasty, also known as the Manchus. Built between 1703 and 1792, the complex is a landscape of meadows, forests and lakes, punctuated with grand palaces and elaborate gardens. One of the most fascinating features of the Mountain Resort, and the temples associated with it, is the range of architectural styles used – they represent regions all across the country. Known as Bishu Shanzhuang, or ‘Fleeing-the-heat Mountain Villa’, at the Mountain Resort today you’ll find China’s largest regal gardens, designed to emulate the natural hills and waterways, and within the austere but elegant main palace building there is a museum of military equipment and antiquities.

Dazu Rock Carvings (added 1999)
Carved into steep hillsides across 40 locations in Dazu county, the Dazu Rock Carvings are a magical sight. Created between the 9th and 13th centuries, it is the huge variety of subject matter that makes Dazu so important. With both secular and religious carvings, in all different sizes, showing everything from everyday life to people at worship, they give a real insight into the China of the past. Another fascinating aspect of the carvings is that they highlight the harmonious relationship between religions – namely the indigenous religions of Taoism and Confucianism and Buddhism, which arrived from India via the Silk Road. The images at Bei Shan are the oldest dating from about 892AD which, like all of the carvings, is in a remarkable state of preservation, with the bright colours used at the time still wonderfully evident.

Fujian Tulou (added 2008)
The ‘tulou’, meaning earth dwelling, of the Fujian province are completely unique. Built between the 15th and 20th centuries, tulou are large fortified buildings, circular or rectangular, constructed from huge compacted earth walls around a central courtyard. With six feet thick walls, they are three to five stories high and provide accommodation and safety for up to 800 people, an entire clan. Within the colossal walls are other structures, generally used for storage and meeting spaces – Chengqilou tulou is a wonderful example of inner buildings built in concentric rings. Warm in the winter and cool in the summer, the tulou are disaster proof, able to withstand strong winds and even earthquakes! These fascinating buildings, built in clusters, sit in a beautiful hilly landscape that is a patchwork of rice, tea and tobacco fields.

Yuanyang Rice Terraces (added 2013)
Hidden amongst the Ailao Mountains of southern Yunnan province, the Yuanyang Rice Terraces were developed by the Hani people over 1,300 years, allowing them to cultivate rice in this rugged terrain. Following the undulating flow of the landscape, the terraces create abstract patterns that are spectacular to behold at any time of year, and show the perfect harmony of nature and the ethnic minority communities that call the area home. The best way to explore is on foot, hiking between villages, meeting the traditional dressed Hani, and other ethnic minority tribespeople, as you go. Visit during the spring to see the terraces full of flowers, or just before the harvest in September to October for them to be full of lush green rice plants.

Even if none of these amazing heritage sites appeal, there are plenty more on the list – any of them can be included in your Asia Inspirations tour of China, just have a chat to one of our tailormade specialists!

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