Classical Gardens of Suzhou

country. China

year of inscription. 2000

criteria. Cultural

The Classical Gardens of Suzhou WHS is a collection of historic gardens found in the city of Suzhou in Jiangsu province. Constructed between the 11th and 19th centuries CE, they epitomise the aesthetic features of the genre. These gardens combine metaphysical philosophies, elements of human design, and concepts of natural beauty, within a single compound in an urban setting. Incorporating elements like water, stones, plants, and various types of buildings of literary and poetic significance containing furniture and artworks, these gardens are seen as embodiment of Chinese culture and artistic attainment.

The nine gardens included in the WHS are the:

• Canglang Pavilion (沧浪亭),
• Couple’s Garden Retreat (耦园),
• Garden of Cultivation (艺圃),
• Humble Administrator’s Garden (拙政园),
• Lingering Garden (留园),
• Lion Grove Garden (狮子林园),
• Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty (环秀山庄),
• Net Master’s Garden (网师园), and
• Retreat & Reflection Garden (退思园).

The Grand Canal

country. China
year of inscription. 2014 (modification: 2016)

criteria. Cultural

The Grand Canal is a waterway system which was a crucial transport and communication lifeline in imperial China, linking Beijing to Hangzhou. With some sections first constructed in the 6th century BCE, it was unified as a system during the Sui Dynasty in the 7th century CE and reached its peak in the 13th century CE Yuan Dynasty, when some 2,000km of artificial waterways had been constructed to link five of the main water basins of China. This was an extensive engineering project that was unparalleled in the world before the Industrial Revolution. Still in use today, the thirty-one component sites of the WHS is located in the municipalities of Beijing and Tianjin and the provinces of Hebei, Henan, Shandong, Anhui, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang.