UNESCO sites in Beijing
Beijing home to six World Heritage sites
Longevity Hill at the Summer Palace
Six of the 40 places in China on UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites list can be found in the greater Beijing area. Most sites are top tourist attractions.
The Forbidden City, Summer Palace and Temple of Heaven are among the city’s attractions visited by tourists from abroad as well as other parts of China. Visitors need to travel farther afield to reach the other sites: Great Wall, Ming Tombs and Peking Man. Day tours usually combine the Great Wall and Ming Tombs in one trip.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization started its list of World Heritage Sites in 1972. The sites are chosen because of their significant contributions to culture and nature. UNESCO notes these sites belong to the entire world, though located in and under the protection of one country.
Forbidden City
The Forbidden City is located in central Beijing, just across Chang’an Avenue from Tiananmen Square. The Forbidden City, now known as the Palace Museum, became a World Heritage Site in 1987, and shares the listing with another imperial palace, this one in Shenyang in North China. “The Imperial Palaces provide outstanding examples of the greatest palatial architectural ensembles in China,” UNESCO said of their selection. UNESCO further called the Forbidden City a masterpiece in world architectural history.
Summer Palace
The Summer Palace, in western Beijing, is “a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design,” UNESCO said. The man-made Kunming Lake is the centerpiece of the Summer Palace. The lake is best viewed from the temple atop Longevity Hill at the north end of the lake. The Summer Palace was first built in 1750, but destroyed by wars a couple of times. It has been largely restored to its former grandeur, and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the Chinese capital. The Summer Palace has been on the UN list since 1998.
Temple of Heaven
The Temple of Heaven is located south of Tiananmen Square in alignment with the Forbidden City. The temple’s blue conical roof is one of the most photographed sites in Beijing. It has been on the UN list since 1998. “Its symbolic layout and design had a profound influence on architecture and planning in the Far East over many centuries,” UNESCO said of its selection.
Great Wall of China
No trip to China is complete without a visit to the Great Wall, which stretches from Jiayuguan in West China’s Gansu Province to Shanhaiguan on the East China coast. The Great Wall has been on the World Heritage Site list since 1987. UNESCO called it “the world's largest military structure. Its historic and strategic importance is matched only by its architectural significance.” The Great Wall was originally built to protect China from invaders swooping down from the north.
Ming Tombs
The Ming Tombs are located in the north Beijing suburb of Chanping. On the World Heritage List since 2000, the Ming Tombs share the listing with Qing Tombs located elsewhere in China. “The Ming and Qing imperial tombs are outstanding testimony to a cultural and architectural tradition that for over 500 years dominated this part of the world,” the UN agency said of their selection.
Peking Man Site
The Peking Man Site, where the prehistoric Sinanthropus pekinensis was discovered made the World Heritage List in 1987. Peking Man dates back to the Middle Pleistocene age, which took place up to 700,000 years ago. “The site is not only an exceptional reminder of the prehistorical human societies of the Asian continent, but also illustrates the process of evolution,” UNESCO says of this choice. Peking Man Site is located at Zhoukoudian, about 30 miles southwest of Beijing.
The Forbidden City, Summer Palace and Temple of Heaven are among the city’s attractions visited by tourists from abroad as well as other parts of China. Visitors need to travel farther afield to reach the other sites: Great Wall, Ming Tombs and Peking Man. Day tours usually combine the Great Wall and Ming Tombs in one trip.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization started its list of World Heritage Sites in 1972. The sites are chosen because of their significant contributions to culture and nature. UNESCO notes these sites belong to the entire world, though located in and under the protection of one country.
Forbidden City
The Forbidden City is located in central Beijing, just across Chang’an Avenue from Tiananmen Square. The Forbidden City, now known as the Palace Museum, became a World Heritage Site in 1987, and shares the listing with another imperial palace, this one in Shenyang in North China. “The Imperial Palaces provide outstanding examples of the greatest palatial architectural ensembles in China,” UNESCO said of their selection. UNESCO further called the Forbidden City a masterpiece in world architectural history.
Summer Palace
The Summer Palace, in western Beijing, is “a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design,” UNESCO said. The man-made Kunming Lake is the centerpiece of the Summer Palace. The lake is best viewed from the temple atop Longevity Hill at the north end of the lake. The Summer Palace was first built in 1750, but destroyed by wars a couple of times. It has been largely restored to its former grandeur, and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the Chinese capital. The Summer Palace has been on the UN list since 1998.
Temple of Heaven
The Temple of Heaven is located south of Tiananmen Square in alignment with the Forbidden City. The temple’s blue conical roof is one of the most photographed sites in Beijing. It has been on the UN list since 1998. “Its symbolic layout and design had a profound influence on architecture and planning in the Far East over many centuries,” UNESCO said of its selection.
Great Wall of China
No trip to China is complete without a visit to the Great Wall, which stretches from Jiayuguan in West China’s Gansu Province to Shanhaiguan on the East China coast. The Great Wall has been on the World Heritage Site list since 1987. UNESCO called it “the world's largest military structure. Its historic and strategic importance is matched only by its architectural significance.” The Great Wall was originally built to protect China from invaders swooping down from the north.
Ming Tombs
The Ming Tombs are located in the north Beijing suburb of Chanping. On the World Heritage List since 2000, the Ming Tombs share the listing with Qing Tombs located elsewhere in China. “The Ming and Qing imperial tombs are outstanding testimony to a cultural and architectural tradition that for over 500 years dominated this part of the world,” the UN agency said of their selection.
Peking Man Site
The Peking Man Site, where the prehistoric Sinanthropus pekinensis was discovered made the World Heritage List in 1987. Peking Man dates back to the Middle Pleistocene age, which took place up to 700,000 years ago. “The site is not only an exceptional reminder of the prehistorical human societies of the Asian continent, but also illustrates the process of evolution,” UNESCO says of this choice. Peking Man Site is located at Zhoukoudian, about 30 miles southwest of Beijing.
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Copyright 2012 by Cheryl Probst. All rights reserved.
Copyright 2012 by Cheryl Probst. All rights reserved.