China World Heritage Sites

Since joining the International Convention Concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage in 1985, China has 53 World Heritage Sites to date, of which 36 are cultural heritage sites, 13 are natural heritage sites, and 4 are cultural and natural (mixed) sites, ranking second in the world. These sites comprise some of the most essential part of China's valuable and rich tourism resources. China is a big place, and it can be hard to know where to start your trip. Why not work your way around China’s World Heritage-listed sites? 

1. List of World Heritage Sites in China

Category: C = Cultural Heritage; N = Natural Heritage; CN = Cultural and Natural Heritage

Year Listed Site Location Category
 1987 Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian Beijing  C
 1987 The Great Wall Beijing  C
 1987, 2004 The Forbidden City; Mukden Palace Beijing; Shenyang  C
1987 Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor Xian, Shanxi  C
1987 Mount Tai Taian, Shandong  CN
1987 Mogao Caves Dunhuang, Gansu  C
1990 Mount Huangshan Huangshan City, Anhui CN
1992 Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area Zhangjiajie, Hunan N
1992 Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area Songpan County, Sichuan N
1992 Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area Jiuzhaigou County, Sichuan N
1994 Temple and Cemetery of Confucius and the Kong Family Mansion in Qufu Qufu, Shandong C
1994 Ancient Building Complex in the Wudang Mountains Shiyan, Hubei C
1994 Mountain Resort and its Outlying Temples in Chengde Chengde, Hebei C
1994, 2000, 2001 Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace, including the Jokhang Temple and Norbulingka  Lhasa, Tibet C
1996 Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area Emeishan City and Leshan, Sichuan CN
1996 Lushan National Park Lushan District, Jiangxi C
1997 Ancient City of Ping Yao Pingyao County, Shanxi C
1997, 2000 Classical Gardens of Suzhou Suzhou, Jiangsu C
1997 Old Town of Lijiang Lijiang, Yunnan C
 1998 Summer Palace Beijing  C
 1998 Temple of Heaven Beijing  C
1999 Dazu Rock Carvings Dazu District, Chongqing C
 1999 Mount Wuyi Fujian, Jiangxi  CN
 2000 Ancient Villages in Southern Anhui – Xidi and Hongcun  Yi County, Anhui  C
2000, 2003, 2004 Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, including the Ming Dynasty Tombs and the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum Beijing and Nanjing, Jiangsu  C
 2000 Longmen Grottoes Luoyang, Henan  C
 2000 Mount Qingcheng and the Dujiangyan Irrigation System Dujiangyan City, Sichuan  C
 2001 Yungang Grottoes Datong, Shanxi  C
 2003 Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas Yunnan  N
 2004 Capital Cities and Tombs of the Ancient Koguryo Kingdom Ji'an, Jilin  C
 2005 Historic Centre of Macau Macau  C
 2006 Yin Xu  Anyang, Henan  C
 2006 Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries Sichuan  N
 2007 Kaiping Diaolou and Villages  Kaiping, Guangdong  C
 2007, 2014 South China Karst Yunnan, Guizhou, Chongqing and Guangxi  N
 2008 Fujian Tulou Fujian  C
 2008 Sanqingshan Yushan County, Jiangxi  N
 2009 Mount Wutai Wutai County, Shanxi  C
 2010 Historic Monuments of Dengfeng in “The Centre of Heaven and Earth Dengfeng, Henan  C
 2010 China Danxia  Hunan, Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, and Guizhou  N
 2011 West Lake Cultural Landscape of Hangzhou Hangzhou, Zhejiang  C
 2012 Site of Xanadu Xilingol, Inner Mongolia  C
 2012 Chengjiang Fossil Site Chengjiang County, Yunnan  N
 2013 Xinjiang Tianshan Xinjiang  N
 2013 Cultural Landscape of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces Yuanyang County, Yunnan  C
 2014 Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor Gansu, Shaanxi, Ningxia, Qinghai, Xinjiang  C
 2014 Grand Canal   Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Henan  C
 2015 Tusi Sites Hunan, Hubei and Guizhou  C
 2016 Zuojiang Huashan Rock Art Cultural Landscape  Guangxi  C
 2016 Hubei Shennongjia Hubei  C
 2017 Qinghai Hoh Xil  Qinghai  C
 2017 Kulangsu: a Historic International Settlement Xiamen, Fujian  C
 2018 Fanjingshan Tongren, Guizhou  N

2. Map of World Heritage Sites in China

3. Tentative list of World Heritage Sites in China

Dongzhai Port Nature Reserve (1996) The Alligator Sinensis Nature Reserve (1996)
Poyang Nature Reserve (1996) The Li River Scenic Zone at Guilin (1996)
Yalong, Tibet (2001) Yangtze Gorges Scenic Spot (2001)
Jinfushan Scenic Spot (2001) Heaven Pit and Ground Seam Scenic Spot (2001)
Yandang Mountain (2001) Hua Shan Scenic Area (2001)
Nanxi River (2001) Maijishan Scenic Spots (2001)
Wudalianchi Scenic Spots (2001) Haitan Scenic Spots (2001)
Dali Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake Scenic Spot (2001) Sites for Liquor Making in China (2008)
Ancient Residences in Shanxi and Shaanxi Provinces (2008) City Walls of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (2008)
Slender West Lake and Historic Urban Area in Yangzhou (2008) Ancient Water Towns South of the Yangtze River (Zhouzhuang, Luzhi, Wuzhen, and Xitang) (2008)
Fenghuang Ancient City (2008) Sites of the Southern Yue State (2008)
Baiheliang Ancient Hydrological Inscription (2008) Miao Nationality Villages in Southeast Guizhou Province: The villages of Miao Nationality at the Foot of Leigong Mountain in Miao Ling Mountains (2008)
Karez Wells (2008) Expansion Project of Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties: King Lujian’s Tombs (2008)
The Four Sacred Mountains as an extension of Mt. Taishan (2008) Taklimakan Desert–Populus euphratica Forests (2010)
China Altay (2010) Karakorum–Pamir (2010)
The Central Axis of Beijing (including Beihai) (2013) Wooden Structures of Liao Dynasty – Wooden Pagoda of Yingxian County, Main Hall of Fengguo Monastery of Yixian County (2013)
Sites of the Hongshan Culture: Niuheliang, Hongshanhou, and Weijiawopu (2013) Liangzhu Archaeological Site (2013)
Ancient Porcelain Kiln Site in China (2013) Sanfang Qixiang (2013)
Ancient Tea Plantations of Jingmai Mountain in Pu'er (2013) Western Xia Imperial Tombs (2013)
Dong Villages (2013) Lingqu Canal (2013)
Diaolou Buildings and Villages for Tibetan and Qiang Ethnic Groups (2013) Archaeological Sites of the Ancient Shu State: Jinsha site and Joint Tombs of Boat-shaped Coffins in Chengdu, Sichuan; Sanxingdui site in Guanghan, 29th – 5th century BC (2013)
Xinjiang Yardang (2015) Dunhuang Yardangs (2015)
Tianzhushan (2015) Jinggangshan–North Wuyishan (extension of Mount Wuyi) (2015)
Shudao (2015) Tulin–Guge Scenic and Historic Interest Areas (2015)
Historic Monuments and Sites of Ancient Quanzhou (Zayton) (2016) The Chinese Section of the Silk Roads (2016)
Guancen Mountain – Luya Mountain (2017) Hulun Buir Landscape & Birthplace of Ancient Minority (2017)
Qinghai Lake (2017) Scenic and historic area of Sacred Mountains and Lakes (Gang Rinpoche, Naimona'nyi, Lake Manasarovar and Lhanag-tso) (2017)
Taihang Mountain (2017) The Coast of the Bohai Gulf and the Yellow Sea of China (2017)
Vertical Vegetation Landscape and Volcanic Landscape in Changbai Mountain (2017)  

4. Recommended China World Heritage Tours

7 Days Shanghai-Hangzhou and Mount Huangshan Tour by Speed Train

8 Days Best China Tour to Beijing, Xian, Shanghai

9 Days Sichuan World Heritages Tour

11 Days China Classic Tour with Mysterious Tibet

11 Days Beijing Datong Pingyao Xian Tour

11 Days Yunnan Classic Tour with Jianshui Old Town and Yuanyang Hani Rice Terraces

For more China Tours, you can check the tour list or contact our travel consultant to create your own China tour according to your interests and requirements. 

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