【Learn Chinese】More Cultural World Heritage Sites in China

We have already looked at some of Chinas Cultural World Heritage Sites. Today we are going to introduce some more.

Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace
Chinese name: 布达拉宫 bùdálā gōng
Its located in Lhasa, Tibet and was listed in 1994.
Construction of the Potala Palace was begun in 1645 by the 5th Dalai Lama. It was the winter palace of Dalai Lamas from 1649 to 1959 and has been a museum since then.
The Potala Palace has thirteen storeys of buildings, with over 1,000 rooms, 10,000 shrines and about 200,000 statues!
In 2000 and 2001, Jokhang Temple and Norbulingka were added to the Potala Palace World Heritage Site listing as extensions to the site.

Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor
The Mausoleum of the first Qin Emperor is more well known as the location of the famous Terracotta Warriors (兵马俑 bīngmǎyǒng).
Chinese name: 秦始皇陵 qínshǐhuáng líng
Its located in Xi’an, Shaanxi and was listed in 1987.
The mausoleum was constructed over 38 years, from 246 to 208 BC and the outer circumference is 6.3 km. The actual tomb of the mausoleum has not yet been excavated.
There are currently three separate pits of the Terracotta Warriors which have been excavated and are open to the public.

West Lake
West Lake in Hangzhou is one of the most important sources of inspiration for traditional Chinese gardens. When it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list it was stated as having “influenced garden design in the rest of China as well as Japan and Korea over the centuries”.
Chinese name: 西湖 xī hú
Its located in Hangzhou, Zhejiang and was listed in 2011.
West Lake has a surface area of 6.4 km squared with numerous temples, pagodas, gardens, and artificial islands. It’s a truly breathtaking place and should definitely be added to your China bucket list!

Old Town of Lijiang
Chinese name: 丽江古城 lìjiāng gǔchéng
Its located in Lijiang, Yunnan and was listed in 1997.
Lijiang Old Town is the historical centre of Lijiang City. The town has a history going back over 1,000 years. It is famous for its ancient system of waterways and bridges.
The Old Town of Lijiang is made up of three parts: Dayan (大研 dà yán) Old Town and Baisha (白沙 báishā) and Shuhe (束河 shùhé) housing clusters. The main culture in Lijiang is that of the the Nakhi people (纳西族 nàxī zú), one of China’s 56 ethnic minorites.

Wutaishan
Wutaishan is one of Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains of China. Wutaishan was the first of the four to be identified and therefore is often referred to as “first among the four great mountains”.
Chinese name: 五台山 wǔtáishān
Its located in Wutai County, Shanxi and was listed in 2009.
Wutaishan has a lot of cultural and historical significance being home to some of the oldest wooden buildings in China that have survived since the era of the Tang Dynasty (618–907).
It is also host to over 53 sacred monasteries, many of which are some of China’s most important monasteries and temples.