5 Stunning UNESCO World Heritage Sites in China
As the COVID-19 pandemic eases, China is tipped to see a sharp rebound in tourism, starting with a busy and robust summer season as travelers flock to iconic locations across the country. The China Tourism Academy predicts that the nation’s domestic tourism revenue could reach $580.8 billion in 2023, a year-on-year increase of approximately 95 percent, and recovering to around 71 percent of 2019 levels.
With the removal of quarantine requirements in January 2023 and travel restrictions lifted, experts predict a boom in both domestic travel and international visitors to China.
Home to no less than 56 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, China boasts more than its fair share of cultural and natural treasures. From conservation areas to an underground army of 8,000 terracotta warriors, we look at five of China’s most celebrated UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
1. Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area
Encompassing Suoxiyu Scenic Area, Yangjiajie Scenic Area, Tianzishan Scenic Area, and Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area is a geological museum, natural maze, and ancient forest kingdom, as well as a paradise for flora and fauna.
A surreal world of towering pinnacles, Wulingyuan was the inspiration for the mythical floating mountains in the 2009 movie Avatar. This spectacular area covers more than 26,000 hectares in China’s Hunan province and features more than 3,000 sandstone peaks and pillars, many of which stand more than 200 meters tall.
Between Wulingyuan’s peaks lie gorges and ravines with stunning waterfalls, streams, and pools, along with two large natural bridges and some 40 caves. In addition to its striking beauty, the region is also renowned for its wildlife. It is home to several endangered animal and plant species, including the pygmy slow loris, the giant salamander, the five-step snake, the pangolin, the giant lynx, and the clouded leopard.
2. The Summer Palace
Situated 12 kilometers to the northwest of downtown Beijing, the Summer Palace and Imperial Garden is a huge estate that was originally commissioned by Emperor Qianlong for his mother around 1750. The palace features hundreds of architecturally distinct buildings, including pavilions, halls, bridges, corridors, and pagodas, dispersed across painstakingly manicured gardens.
Covering 290 hectares, three-quarters of which is water, the palace consists of three distinct areas, namely Kunming Lake, the Court, and Longevity Hill. Largely destroyed by the War of 1860, the Summer Palace was restored on its original foundations in 1886 and today is regarded as a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design.
3. Mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang
Few rulers are sent to the afterlife accompanied by an army of 8,000 terracotta warriors. Made more than 2,000 years ago, the terracotta army is not just a historical record but a testament to the craft and skill of these ancient artisans, as each face is incredibly lifelike.
The terracotta warriors were discovered by accident in 1974 when a farmer uncovered fragments of pottery while digging a well. This led to the discovery of the first terracotta warrior, followed by more than 2,000, with an estimated 6,000 still buried underground. The finding came as a complete surprise since no historical record exists of this long-forgotten underground army. The mausoleum of China’s first Qin dynasty emperor ranks as the country’s largest and most important tomb site.
4. The Forbidden City
Declared a World Heritage Site in 1987, the Forbidden City is listed by UNESCO as the world’s largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures. Its construction started in 1406 and was completed over 14 years. Twenty-four emperors, including rulers from the Ming and Qing dynasties, lived here over six centuries.
Extending 961 meters from north to south and 753 meters from east to west, the Forbidden City is the largest imperial palace in the world. It encompasses numerous compounds of varying sizes and has some 9,900 bays of rooms.
Most of the buildings on the site were constructed with wood. They feature yellow-glazed roof tiles and sit on blue-and-white stone foundations. In addition to traditional Chinese architecture, the Forbidden City highlights Arabic- and European-influenced buildings, including an Arabic-style bathroom designed by a Persian architect during the Yuan Dynasty.
5. The Great Wall
Started in the 3rd century BCE and continuously added to up to the 17th century CE, the Great Wall stands on China’s northern border and is the product of a great military defense project undertaken by successive Chinese Empires. Spanning more than 20,000 kilometers in total, the Great Wall of China is the world’s longest manmade structure; it is equal to half the length of the equator. The Great Wall starts in Shanhaiguan in Hebei province, ending in the west of the country, in Gansu province.
Consisting of walls, watch towers, horse tracks, shelters, passes, and fortresses, the Great Wall provides insights into the military might and national defense forces of ancient China’s central empires. Today, the Great Wall remains an outstanding example of this the superb architecture, art, and technology of ancient China.
