Imperial palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties
The Forbidden City, located in the center of Beijing, used to be the imperial palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Its construction started in 1406, and was completed in 1420. The rectangular palace covers an area of some 720,000 sq. km -- 961 m in length and 760 m in width.
Ancient constructions on Mt. Wudangshan
Mt. Wudangshan, also called Mt. Taihe or Mt. Xianshi in the past, is located near the city of Danjiangkou, in central Hubei Province. Wudangshan is a scenic resort perfectly integrating natural landscape with manmade buildings. Taoist temples are prominent here.
Chengde Imperial Summer Resort and its outlying temples
Located in the city of Chengde, northern Hebei Province, the Chengde Imperial Summer Resort was first built in 1703, and it was expanded in 1792. The resort occupies a total area of 5.64 sq. m.
Ancient rural complex of southern Anhui province
Ancient rural complex of southern Anhui province is praised as a world outside the world due to its unpolluted harmony of Nature and Manmade Culture. Among all the rural complexes of South Anhui province, Xidi and Hongcun are the most typical and renowned.
Mt. Qingcheng and the Dujiangyan irrigation system
Located in Sichuan province, southwest China, this site consists of Mt. Qingcheng, the Dujiangyan irrigation system, the Dragon Stream (Longxi) and the Iris Port (Hongkou). It was put under state-class protection in 1982.
Potala Palace
Situated on Potala Mountain in Lhasa, capital of the Tibet autonomous region, the Potala Palace was first built in the 7th century, for the wedding of the Tibetan king Songtsan Gompo and Princess Wencheng of the Tang Empire.
Dunhuang Mogao Caves
The grottoes in the Mogao Caves are the world's largest and oldest treasure house of Buddhist art. The Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes, also known as the One-Thousand-Buddha Grottoes, are located on the eastern, rocky side of Singing Sand Mountain, near Dunhang city, Gansu province.
Longmen Grottoes
Located 13 km south of Luoyang, Henan province, the Longmen Grottoes are concentrated on the east and west cliffs of the Yishui River, and stretch for one km. Work started on the grottoes around the year 493, during the Northern Wei Dynasty, and continued for the next 400 years.
The old town of Lijiang
This 800-year-old habitation of the Naxi people is noteworthy for its harmony with nature, ingenious architecture and urban facilities. Lying in a broad, fertile valley in the northwest of Yunnan province, the old town of Lijiang has been a commercial, political and cultural center of the Naxi people and other ethnic minorities for over eight centuries.
Miao costume
The typical costume of the Miao women is popular in the Miao villages in Changning county of Baoshan city, Yunnan province. Miao women pay much attention to the design, color and style of their costume. They often wear a hair bun tied with a red silk ribbon or batik or embroidered, angular kerchief.
Yungang Grottoes
Located at the southern foot of Wuzhou Mountain, some 16 km west of Datong city, Shanxi province, the Yungang Grottoes were built against the mountain and extend about 1 km (0.62 miles) from east to west.
Classical gardens of Suzhou
As outstanding examples of southern China's private gardens, Suzhou's classical gardens are noted for their exquisite design and layout. Landscape and buildings are perfectly integrated, to create a great harmony between man and nature.
Kaiping Diaolou and villages
Kaiping Diaolou and villages, the unique residential and defensive buildings in Guangdong's Kaiping, were inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List on June 28. The cultural site nomination was approved by the ongoing 31st session of the World Heritage Committee, which convened June 23 in Christchurch New Zealand.
Yue opera
Yue opera is popular in the region south of the Yangtze River, and is especially popular in Zhejiang, Shanghai, and Jiangsu. It originated in Shengzhou county in Shaoxing, Zhejiang province in the early 20th century. It was named Yue opera because it originated in part of the Yue State (Zhejiang) in the Spring and Autumn Period about 2,000 years ago.
