30/06/2014

Mongolia - Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape

The 121,967-ha Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape encompasses an extensive area of pastureland on both banks of the Orkhon River and includes numerous archaeological remains dating back to the 6th century. The site also includes Kharkhorum, the 13th- and 14th-century capital of Chingis (Genghis) Khan’s vast Empire. Collectively the remains in the site reflect the symbiotic links between nomadic, pastoral societies and their administrative and religious centres, and the importance of the Orkhon valley in the history of central Asia. The grassland is still grazed by Mongolian nomadic pastoralists

Year of Inscription: 2004
further Informations: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1081

Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape



29/06/2014

China - Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area

The first Buddhist temple in China was built here in Sichuan Province in the 1st century A.D. in the beautiful surroundings of the summit Mount Emei. The addition of other temples turned the site into one of Buddhism's holiest sites. Over the centuries, the cultural treasures grew in number. The most remarkable is the Giant Buddha of Leshan, carved out of a hillside in the 8th century and looking down on the confluence of three rivers. At 71 m high, it is the largest Buddha in the world. Mount Emei is also notable for its exceptionally diverse vegetation, ranging from subtropical to subalpine pine forests. Some of the trees there are more than 1,000 years old.

Year of Inscription: 1996
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/779

Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area

Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area

Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area

28/06/2014

China - Lushan National Park - China

Mount Lushan, in Jiangxi, is one of the spiritual centres of Chinese civilization. Buddhist and Taoist temples, along with landmarks of Confucianism, where the most eminent masters taught, blend effortlessly into a strikingly beautiful landscape which has inspired countless artists who developed the aesthetic approach to nature found in Chinese culture.

Date of Inscription: 1996
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/778

Lushan National Park

China - Longmen Grottoes

The grottoes and niches of Longmen contain the largest and most impressive collection of Chinese art of the late Northern Wei and Tang Dynasties (316-907). These works, entirely devoted to the Buddhist religion, represent the high point of Chinese stone carving.

Date of Inscription: 2000
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1003



Longmen Grottoes

Longmen Grottoes

Longmen Grottoes

Longmen Grottoes

China - Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang - China

Seat of supreme power for over five centuries (1416-1911), the Forbidden City in Beijing, with its landscaped gardens and many buildings (whose nearly 10,000 rooms contain furniture and works of art), constitutes a priceless testimony to Chinese civilization during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The Imperial Palace of the Qing Dynasty in Shenyang consists of 114 buildings constructed between 1625–26 and 1783. It contains an important library and testifies to the foundation of the last dynasty that ruled China, before it expanded its power to the centre of the country and moved the capital to Beijing. This palace then became auxiliary to the Imperial Palace in Beijing. This remarkable architectural edifice offers important historical testimony to the history of the Qing Dynasty and to the cultural traditions of the Manchu and other tribes in the north of China.

Date of Inscription: 1987
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/439


Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang


 rec Aug 2011 // China x OC RR from julia_jery




This Post is Part from the Sunday Stamp Blog - especially the chinese stamps. I always like to get chinese postcard due to the stamps :) They are always big and colorful and the marks are most of the time blotted... sometimes i also wish i could read chinese... coz otherwise i've never an idea what the stamps are showing... 















China - Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace, Lhasa

The Potala Palace, winter palace of the Dalai Lama since the 7th century, symbolizes Tibetan Buddhism and its central role in the traditional administration of Tibet. The complex, comprising the White and Red Palaces with their ancillary buildings, is built on Red Mountain in the centre of Lhasa Valley, at an altitude of 3,700m. Also founded in the 7th century, the Jokhang Temple Monastery is an exceptional Buddhist religious complex. Norbulingka, the Dalai Lama's former summer palace, constructed in the 18th century, is a masterpiece of Tibetan art. The beauty and originality of the architecture of these three sites, their rich ornamentation and harmonious integration in a striking landscape, add to their historic and religious interest.

year of Inscription: 1994
further Informations: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/707

Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace, Lhasa

Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace, Lhasa

China - Historic Centre of Macao

Macao, a lucrative port of strategic importance in the development of international trade, was under Portuguese administration from the mid-16th century until 1999, when it came under Chinese sovereignty. With its historic street, residential, religious and public Portuguese and Chinese buildings, the historic centre of Macao provides a unique testimony to the meeting of aesthetic, cultural, architectural and technological influences from East and West. The site also contains a fortress and a lighthouse, the oldest in China. It bears witness to one of the earliest and longest-lasting encounters between China and the West, based on the vibrancy of international trade.

Year of Inscription: 2005
further Informations: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1110

Historic Centre of Macao

CN - Historic Centre of Macao

Historic Centre of Macao

Historic Centre of Macao

China - Fujian Tulou

Fujian Tulou is a property of 46 buildings constructed between the 15th and 20th centuries over 120 km in south-west of Fujian province, inland from the Taiwan Strait. Set amongst rice, tea and tobacco fields the Tulou are earthen houses. Several storeys high, they are built along an inward-looking, circular or square floor plan as housing for up to 800 people each. They were built for defence purposes around a central open courtyard with only one entrance and windows to the outside only above the first floor. Housing a whole clan, the houses functioned as village units and were known as “a little kingdom for the family” or “bustling small city.” They feature tall fortified mud walls capped by tiled roofs with wide over-hanging eaves. The most elaborate structures date back to the 17th and 18th centuries. The buildings were divided vertically between families with each disposing of two or three rooms on each floor. In contrast with their plain exterior, the inside of the tulou were built for comfort and were often highly decorated. They are inscribed as exceptional examples of a building tradition and function exemplifying a particular type of communal living and defensive organization, and, in terms of their harmonious relationship with their environment, an outstanding example of human settlement.

Year of Inscription: 2008
further Informations:  http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1113

Fujian Tulou

India - Red Fort Complex

The Red Fort Complex was built as the palace fort of Shahjahanabad – the new capital of the fifth Mughal Emperor of India, Shah Jahan. Named for its massive enclosing walls of red sandstone, it is adjacent to an older fort, the Salimgarh, built by Islam Shah Suri in 1546, with which it forms the Red Fort Complex. The private apartments consist of a row of pavilions connected by a continuous water channel, known as the Nahr-i-Behisht (Stream of Paradise). The Red Fort is considered to represent the zenith of Mughal creativity which, under the Shah Jahan, was brought to a new level of refinement. The planning of the palace is based on Islamic prototypes, but each pavilion reveals architectural elements typical of Mughal building, reflecting a fusion of Persian, Timurid and Hindu traditions The Red Fort’s innovative planning and architectural style, including the garden design, strongly influenced later buildings and gardens in Rajasthan, Delhi, Agra and further afield.

Year of Inscription: 2007
further Informations: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/231/

Red Fort Complex


27/06/2014

Belgium - Flemish Béguinages

The Béguines were women who dedicated their lives to God without retiring from the world. In the 13th century they founded the béguinages , enclosed communities designed to meet their spiritual and material needs. The Flemish béguinages are architectural ensembles composed of houses, churches, ancillary buildings and green spaces, with a layout of either urban or rural origin and built in styles specific to the Flemish cultural region. They are a fascinating reminder of the tradition of the Béguines that developed in north-western Europe in the Middle Ages.

Date of Inscription: 1998
further Informations: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/855/

855-001 Béguinage de Hoogstraten
Hoogstraten, Antwerpen, Flanders, Belgium

855-002 Béguinage de Lier (Lierre)
Lier (Lierre), Antwerpen, Flanders, Belgium

855-003 Grand Béguinage de Mechelen (Malines)
Mechelen (Malines), Antwerpen, Flanders, Belgium

855-004 Béguinage de Turnhout
Turnhout, Antwerpen, Flanders, Belgium

855-005 Beguinage de Sint-Truiden (Saint Trond)
Sint-Truiden (Saint Trond), Limbourg, Flanders, Belgium

855-006 Béguinage de Tongeren (Tongres)
Tongeren (Tongres), Limbourg, Flanders, Belgium

855-007 Béguinage de Dendermonde (Termonde)
Dendermonde (Termonde), Oost-Vlaanderen, Flanders, Belgium

855-008 Petit Béguinage de Gent (Gand)
Gent (Gand), Oost-Vlaanderen, Flanders, Belgium

855-009 Béguinage de Sint-Amandsberg / Gent (Mont-Saint-Amand-lez-Gand)
Sint-Amandsberg / Gent (Mont-Saint-Amand-lez-Gand), Oost-Vlaanderen, Flanders, Belgium

855-010 Béguinage de Diest
Diest, Vlaams Bramant, Flanders, Belgium

855-011 Grand Béguinage of Leuven (Louvain)
Leuven (Louvain), Vlaams Bramant, Flanders, Belgium

855-012 Béguinage de Bruges (Brugge)
Bruges (Brugge), West-Vlaanderen, Flanders, Belgium

Flemish Béguinages

Flemish Béguinages

855-013 Béguinage de Kortrijk (Courtrail)
Kortrijk (Courtrail), West-Vlaanderen, Flanders, Belgium

Poland - Historic Centre of Kraków

The historic centre of Cracow, the former capital of Poland, is situated at the foot of the Royal Wawel Castle. The 13th-century merchants' town has Europe's largest market square and numerous historical houses, palaces and churches with their magnificent interiors. Further evidence of the town's fascinating history is provided by the remnants of the 14th-century fortifications and the medieval site of Kazimierz with its ancient synagogues in the southern part of town, Jagellonian University and the Gothic cathedral where the kings of Poland were buried. 

Date of Inscription: 1978 
further Informations: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/29

Historic Centre of Kraków

Historic Centre of Kraków (1978)
unescotag - overbreathing



Cracow's Historic Centre

Cracow's Historic Centre

Cracow's Historic Centre

Historic Centre of Kraków (1978)

Historic Centre of Kraków (1978)

Historic Centre of Kraków

26/06/2014

Bulgaria - Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari

Discovered in 1982 near the village of Sveshtari, this 3rd-century BC Thracian tomb reflects the fundamental structural principles of Thracian cult buildings. The tomb has a unique architectural decor, with polychrome half-human, half-plant caryatids and painted murals. The 10 female figures carved in high relief on the walls of the central chamber and the decoration of the lunette in its vault are the only examples of this type found so far in the Thracian lands. It is a remarkable reminder of the culture of the Getes, a Thracian people who were in contact with the Hellenistic and Hyperborean worlds, according to ancient geographers.

Year of Inscription: 1985
Further Informations: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/359

Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari

Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari

24/06/2014

Bulgaria - Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak

Discovered in 1944, this tomb dates from the Hellenistic period, around the end of the 4th century BC. It is located near Seutopolis, the capital city of the Thracian king Seutes III, and is part of a large Thracian necropolis. The tholos has a narrow corridor and a round burial chamber, both decorated with murals representing Thracian burial rituals and culture. These paintings are Bulgaria’s best-preserved artistic masterpieces from the Hellenistic period.

Year of Inscription: 1979
Further Informations: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/44

Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak

China - Classical Gardens of Suzhou

Classical Chinese garden design, which seeks to recreate natural landscapes in miniature, is nowhere better illustrated than in the nine gardens in the historic city of Suzhou. They are generally acknowledged to be masterpieces of the genre. Dating from the 11th-19th century, the gardens reflect the profound metaphysical importance of natural beauty in Chinese culture in their meticulous design.

Year of Inscription: 1997
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/813

Classical Gardens of Suzhou

Classical Gardens of Suzhou
JulyRR - 01 - cmjscmgcm (18.07.104)

China - Ancient Villages in Southern Anhui – Xidi and Hongcun

The two traditional villages of Xidi and Hongcun preserve to a remarkable extent the appearance of non-urban settlements of a type that largely disappeared or was transformed during the last century. Their street plan, their architecture and decoration, and the integration of houses with comprehensive water systems are unique surviving examples.

Date of Inscription: 2000
further Informations: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1002


Ancient Villages in Southern Anhui – Xidi and Hongcun


Ancient Villages in Southern Anhui – Xidi and Hongcun

China - Ancient City of Ping Yao

Ping Yao is an exceptionally well-preserved example of a traditional Han Chinese city, founded in the 14th century. Its urban fabric shows the evolution of architectural styles and town planning in Imperial China over five centuries. Of special interest are the imposing buildings associated with banking, for which Ping Yao was the major centre for the whole of China in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Date of Inscription: 1997
further Informations: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/812

Ancient City of Ping Yao


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Ancient City of Ping Yao


Ancient City of Ping Yao

Chile - Churches of Chiloé

The Churches of Chiloé represent a unique example in Latin America of an outstanding form of ecclesiastical wooden architecture. They represent a tradition initiated by the Jesuit Peripatetic Mission in the 17th and 18th centuries, continued and enriched by the Franciscans during the 19th century and still prevailing today. These churches embody the intangible richness of the Chiloé Archipelago, and bear witness to a successful fusion of indigenous and European culture, the full integration of its architecture in the landscape and environment, as well as to the spiritual values of the communities.

Date of Inscription: 2000
further Informations: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/971

Churches of Chiloé

Churches of Chiloé