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.

Kaiping Diaolou and Villages

country. China

year of inscription. 2007

criteria. Cultural

Kaiping, in the province of Guangdong, is the home of villages which feature diaolou. Dialou is a multi-storeyed defensive village houses that reflect a complex, flamboyant fusion of Chinese and Western architectural forms. While they were built as early as during the Ming Dynasty (1368CE - 1644CE), they reached a peak during the Warlord Era (1916 - 28CE), in response to warfare and banditry. They were often built with financial aid from Chinese emigrants to Southeast Asia, Australasia, and North America in the late 19th and early 20th century CE. They could take the form of: one, communal towers for use as refuge for a few families; two, fortified residential towers of rich households; and, lastly, watch towers. 

China Danxia

where. China
what. WHS visited (September 2019)

[Canon EOS M50, 09 September 2019]

Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments

PAGE UNDER CONSTRUCTION

country. Russia
year of inscription. 1990

criteria. Cultural

Komodo National Park

country. Indonesia

year of inscription. 1991

criteria. Natural

Komodo National Park is composed of the three islands of Komodo, Padar, and Rinca, located in the  province of East Nusa Tenggara. The climate and geography of the islands have led to the evolution of endemic flora and fauna, including the famed giant lizard, the Komodo dragon. Additionally, the park is home to other distinctive fauna, both terrestrial and marine.

Rideau Canal

where. Canada

what. postcard (Canada, 2019)