Gunung Mulu National Park

country. Malaysia

year of inscription. 2000

criteria. Natural

Gunung Mulu National Park is located in the state of Sarawak, on the island of Borneo. Centred on the 2,377m-tall Gunung Mulu, the park is noted for its rich flora species diversity and endemism. Furthermore, it houses spectacular karstic cave systems, including the Sarawak Chamber, which at 600m long, 415m wide, and 80m tall, is the world's largest known cave chamber. These cave systems are also home to millions of bats and swiftlets.

Kinabalu Park

country. Malaysia

year of inscription. 2000

criteria. Natural

Kinabalu Park is located in the state of Sabah, in northern Borneo. The park centres around Mount Kinabalu. At 4,095m, the mountain is the tallest peak between the Himalayas and the island of New Guinea. It is a site of rich flora species in a wide range of habitats, including tropical lowland and hill rainforests, tropical mountain forests, and sub-alpine forests and scrubland. Furthermore, the area is also rich in fauna species, with many endemic to the island.

Petra

where. Jordan
what. postcard (Jordan)

Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara

country. Japan

year of inscription. 1998

criteria. Cultural

Nara was the capital of Japan, between 710 C.E. and 794 C.E. The component sites here showcase the architectural, cultural, and historical aspects of Japan from that era. The site is composed of eight component sites: five Buddhist temples, one Shinto shrine, one palace, and one primeval forest.

Roman Monuments, Cathedral of St Peter and Church of Our Lady in Trier

where. Germany

year of inscription. 1986

criteria. Cultural

The component sites of this WHS is in Trier, which is along the Moselle River, in the state of the Rhineland-Palatinate. Trier was a Roman colony, dating back to the 1st century CE. It grew to become an important trading centre in the 2nd century CE, and eventually, in the late-3rd century CE, it was appointed as on the of capitals of the Tetrarchy, informally referred to as the “second Rome” or “Rome of the North”. Today, many Roman monuments in a good state of preservation can be found here. Besides these, the two historical and architecturally striking Roman Catholic churches from the 13th century CE also form part of the WHS.

Cologne Cathedral

country. Germany
year of inscription. 1996 (modification: 2008)

criteria. Cultural

Construction of this cathedral in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia began in 1248 and was only completed in 1880. Over seven centuries, a succession of builders, adhering to the fidelity of the original plans and guided by their faith, saw through the construction of this Gothic masterpiece. Besides being an architectural work of art, it also contains various artefacts of both historical and religious significance.

Temple Zone of Sambor Prei Kuk, Archaeological Site of Ancient Ishanapura

country. Cambodia

year of inscription. 2017

criteria. Cultural

This WHS, located in the province of Kampong Thom, is the location of Ishanapura, the capital of the Chenla Empire, which saw its golden age in the late 6th – early 7th century CE. On this site are the ruins of hundreds of temples, many of which have a distinct pre-Angkor architectural and artistic style.

Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining

country. Japan

year of inscription. 2015 

criteria. Cultural

This WHS bear testimony to the rapid industrialisation of Japan from the mid-19th century CE to the early-20th century CE, through the iron and steel, ship-building, and coal industries. It is evidence of what is regarded as the first non-Western nation to have undergone Western industrialisation, while adapting the technology to local social norms, needs, and materials. The twenty-three component sites in eight areas are spread across the prefectures of Fukuoka, Iwate, Kagoshima, Kumamoto, Nagasaki, Saga, Shizuoka, and Yamaguchi.

Controversy arose over the listing of this WHS. South Korea raised objections as Korean and Chinese labour were forced to work under harsh conditions at some of these sites in Japan’s war efforts before and during World War II (1937 – 45). While the period of the Meiji Industrial Revolution did not coincide with that of the forced labour, South Korea alleged that the two events, as part of Japan’s empire-building attempts in the early-20th century CE, were inextricably linked. Criticisms of Japanese attempt to list the WHS also came from China and North Korea for similar reasons. South Korea eventually withdrew its objections when Japan pledged to acknowledge and commemorate the use of conscripted labour in the relevant sites, and the WHS was listed in 2015; however, in 2018, UNESCO censured Japan for its unsatisfactory efforts in keeping its pledge to do so.

Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine and its Cultural Landscape

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country. Japan

year of inscription. 2007 (extensions: 2010)
criteria. Cultural

Himeji-jo

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country. Japan

year of inscription. 1993

criteria.  Cultural

Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome)

country. Japan

year of inscription. 1996

criteria. Cultural

The Hiroshima Peace Memorial (also known as the Genbaku Dome), in the prefecture of Hiroshima, is the sole structure left standing in the area of the first atomic bomb explosion on 6 August 1945, and preserved in that state since then. The skeletal remains of the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotional Hall serves as a reminder of the immense destructive force that humankind can create; yet, is also a symbol of the hope for world peace and for the eventual elimination of all nuclear weapons.

The nomination of the site as a WHS raised concerns from China and the United States. China felt that its listing could be used to downplay Japan's wartime aggression, while the United States decried the absence of the historical context that necessitated its use of nuclear weapons.

Statue of Liberty

country. United States of America

year of inscription. 1984

criteria. Cultural

The Statue of Liberty was designed by French sculptor Frederic Bartholdi, in collaboration with engineer Gustave Eiffel, and made in Paris. It was a gift from France to the United States on the occasion of the centenary of American independence in 1876. Its construction was recognised as an engineering feat of its time. Erected atop a pedestal designed by American architect Richard Morris Hunt, placed at the entrance to New York Harbor, and inaugurated in 1886, the sculpture has been a symbol of welcome for the millions of migrants who entered the United States through the harbour.

Historic Centre of Prague

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country. Czechia

year of inscription. 1992

criteria. Cultural

Itsukushima Shinto Shrine

country. Japan

year of inscription. 1996

criteria. Cultural

The island of Itsukushima in the prefecture of Hiroshima has been regarded as a holy place of Shintoism since recorded history of the religion began. The first religious buildings constructed here dates back to the 6th century CE, while the current buildings were took their form from those built from the 12th century CE. The shrine is a prime example of the Japanese concept of scenic beauty, by combining human creativity in colour and form against a natural setting of mountains (in the background) and sea (in the foreground).

Ngorongoro Conservation Area

where. Tanzania
what. postcard (Tanzania, 2014)

The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement

countries. Argentina, Belgium, France, Germany, India, Japan, and Switzerland

year of inscription. 2016

criteria. Cultural

This WHS celebrates the architectural works of Franco-Swiss architect Charles-Edouard Jeanneret (1887CE – 1965CE), who is more popularly referred to as Le Corbusier. Seventeen of his works across seven countries, built over half a century, have been chosen as testimonies to his invention of a new architectural style as well as to how his works facilitated the internationalisation of architectural practice. With many of these sites exhibiting new and innovative architectural designs and features, they influence design styles and ideas regionally or globally. Hence, Le Corbusier’s works played roles in influencing Modern Movement, Purism, Brutalism, and a move towards a sculptural form of architecture, while also responding to the needs of humankind and society.

The 17 sites listed across the seven countries are:

• Argentina
• Maison du docteur Curutchet, Buenos Aires Province
• Belgium
• Maison Guiete, Antwerp
• France
• Cabanon de Le Corbusier, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
• Chapelle Notre-Dame-du-Haut de Ronchamp, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté
• Cité Frugès, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
• Couvent Sainte-Marie-de-la-Tourette, Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes
• Immeuble locatif à la Porte Molitor, Ile-de-France
• La Manufacture à Saint- Dié, Grand Est
• Maison de la Culture de Firminy, Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes
• Maisons La Roche et Jeanneret, Ile-de-France
• Unité d’habitation Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur
• Villa Savoye et loge du jardiner, Ile-de-France
• Germany
• Maisons de la Weissenhof-Siedlung, Baden-Wurttemburg
• India
• Complexe du Capitole, Chandigarh Union Territory
• Japan
• Musée National des Beaux-Arts de l’Occident, Tokyo
• Switzerland
• Immeuble Clarté, Geneva
• Petite villa au bord du lac Léman, Vaud

Tomioka Silk Mill and Related Sites

where. Japan
what. WHS visited (December 2018)

[Canon EOS M50, 07 December 2018]

Rock-Hewn Churches, Lalibela

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country. Ethiopia

year of inscription. 1978

criteria. Cultural

Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis

where. Egypt
what. postcard (Egypt, 2017)

Archaeological Site of Carthage

where. Tunisia
what. postcard (Tunisia, 2012)

Medina of Marrakesh

where. Morocco
what. postcard (Morocco, 2013)

Shrines and Temples of Nikko

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country. Japan

year of inscription. 1999

criteria. Cultural

Paris, Banks of the Seine

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country. France

year of inscription. 1991

criteria. Cultural

Historic Cairo

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country. Egypt

year of inscription. 1979

criteria. Cultural

Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis

where. Egypt
what. stamp (Singapore, 2011)

Memphis and its Necropolis – the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur

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country. Egypt
year of inscription. 1979

criteria. Cultural

Fujisan, sacred place and source of artistic inspiration

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country. Japan

year of inscription. 2013

criteria. Cultural

Melaka and George Town, Historic Cities of the Straits of Malacca

country. Malaysia

year of inscription. 2008 (modification: 2011)

criteria. Cultural

Melaka and George Town are historic cities, in the states of Melaka and Pulau Pinang respectively, along the Straits of Malacca that have developed as a consequence of economic and cultural interaction between the East and the West. Both towns demonstrate the multicultural heritage originating from trade routes from the United Kingdom to China, through the Middle East, South Asia, and the Malay Archipelago. This can be seen in Melaka, with its origins in the 15th century CE Malay sultanate and through the Portuguese and Dutch periods, and George Town, with its origins in the British era of the late 18th century CE.

Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama

where. Japan
what. WHS visited (December 2018)

[Canon EOS M50, 02 December 2018]

Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama

where. Japan
what. postcard (Japan, 2018)