World Heritage Sites in Asia Pacific

World Heritage Sites recognized by UNESCO Asia Pacific span over several countries in the region. All sites have met several criteria as outlined by this August body.

Here are some of the cities, places and monuments listed, according to the country:

Afghanistan

Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam (2002)
Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamyan Valley (2003)

Australia

Great Barrier Reef (1981)
Kakadu National Park (1981)
Willandra Lakes Region (1981)
Lord Howe Island Group (1982)
Tasmanian Wilderness (1982)
Gondwana Rainforests of Australia (1986)
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park (1987)
Wet Tropics of Queensland (1988)
Shark Bay, Western Australia (1991)
Fraser Island (1992)
Australian Fossil Mammal Sites (Riversleigh/Naracoorte) (1992)
Heard and McDonald Islands (1997)
Macquarie Island (1997)
Greater Blue Mountains Area (2000)
Purnululu National Park (2003)
Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens (2004)
Sydney Opera House (2007)

Bangladesh

Historic Mosque City of Bagerhat (1985)
Ruins of the Buddhist Vihara at Paharpur (1985)
The Sundarbans (1997)

Cambodia

Angkor (1992)
Temple of Preah Vihear (2008)

China

The Great Wall (1987)
Mount Taishan, Shandong province (1987)
Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing (the Forbidden City)(1987) and Shenyang (Mukden Palace) (2004)
Mogao Caves, Dunhuang, Gansu province (1987)
Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor in Xi'an, Shaanxi province (1987)
Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian, Beijing municipality (1987)
Mount Huangshan, Anhui province (1990)
Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area, Sichuan province (1992)
Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area, Sichuan province (1992)
Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area, Hunan province (1992)
Mountain Resort and its Outlying Temples in Chengde, Hebei province (1994)
Temple and Cemetery of Confucius, and the Kong Family Mansion in Qufu, Shandong province (1994)
Ancient Building Complex in the Wudang Mountains, Hubei province (1994)
Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace, including the Jokhang Temple and Norbulingka, Lhasa, Tibet (1994, 2000, 2001)
Lushan National Park, Jiangxi province (1996)
Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area, Sichuan province (1996)
Old Town of Lijiang, Yunnan province (1997)
Ancient City of Ping Yao, Shanxi province (1997)
Classical Gardens of Suzhou, Jiangsu province (1997, 2000)
Summer Palace, an Imperial Garden in Beijing (1998)
Temple of Heaven: an Imperial Sacrificial Altar in Beijing (1998)
Mount Wuyi, Fujian province (1999)
Dazu Rock Carvings, Chongqing municipality (1999)
Mount Qingcheng and the Dujiangyan Irrigation System, Sichuan province (2000)
Ancient Villages in Southern Anhui - Xidi and Hongcun (2000)
Longmen Grottoes, Luoyang, Henan province (2000)
Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, including the Ming Dynasty Tombs and the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum (2000, 2003, 2004)
Yungang Grottoes, Datong, Shanxi province (2001)
Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas, Yunnan province (2003)
Capital Cities and Tombs of the Ancient Koguryo Kingdom, Jilin and Liaoning provinces (2004)
Historic Centre of Macau (2005)
Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries, Sichuan province (2006)
Yin Xu, Henan province (2006)
Kaiping Diaolou and Villages, Guangdong province (2007)
South China Karst, Yunnan, Guizhou and Guangxi provinces (2007)
Fujian Tulou, Fujian province (2008)
Mount Sanqingshan National Park, Jiangxi province (2008)
Mount Wutai, Shanxi province (2009)

India

Agra Fort, Agra, Uttar Pradesh (1983)
Ajanta Caves, Maharashtra (1983)
Fatehpur Sikri, Uttar Pradesh (1986)
Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh (1983)
Churches and Convents of Goa, Goa (1986)
Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh (1989)
Khajuraho Group of Monuments, Madhya Pradesh (1986)
Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka, Madhya Pradesh (2003)
Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park, Gujarat (2004)
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Mumbai, Maharashtra (2004)
Elephanta Caves, Mumbai, Maharashtra (1987)
Ellora Caves, Maharashtra (1983)
Humayun's Tomb, Delhi (1993)
Great Living Chola Temples, Tamil Nadu (1987)
Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu (1984)
Group of Monuments at Hampi, Karnataka (1986)
Group of Monuments at Pattadakal, Karnataka (1987)
Kaziranga National Park, Assam (1985)
Manas Wildlife Sanctuary, Assam (1985)
Keoladeo National Park, Rajasthan (1985)
Konark Sun Temple, Konark, Orissa (1984)
Mahabodhi Temple Complex, Bodh Gaya, Bihar (2002)
Mountain Railways of India, including Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, Kalka-Shimla Railway, and Nilgiri Mountain Railway (1999)
Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Park, Uttaranchal (1988)
Red Fort, Delhi (2007)
Sundarbans National Park, West Bengal (1987)
Qutub Minar and its monuments, Delhi (1993)

Indonesia

Borobudur Temple Compounds (1991), including Borobudur Temple, Mendut Temple, and Pawon Temple
Komodo National Park (1991)
Prambanan Temple Compounds (1991)
Ujung Kulon National Park (1991)
Sangiran Early Man Site (1996)
Lorentz National Park (1999)
Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra, including Gunung Leuser National Park, Kerinci Seblat National Park and Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park (2004)

Iran

Meidan Emam, Esfahan (1979)
Persepolis (1979)
Tchogha Zanbil (1979)
Takht-e Soleyman (2003)
Bam and its Cultural Landscape (2004)
Pasargadae (2004)
Soltaniyeh (2005)
Bisotun (2006)
Armenian Monastic Ensembles in Iran, including St Thaddeus, St Stepanos, and Chapel of Dzordzor (2008)
Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System (2009)

Iraq

Hatra (1985)
Assur (Qal'at Sherqat) (2003)
Samarra Archaeological City (2007)

Japan

Buddhist Monuments in the Hōryū-ji Area (1993)
Himeji-jo (1993)
Shirakami-Sanchi (1993)
Yakushima (1993)
Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities) (1994)
Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama (1995)
Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome) (1996)
Itsukushima Shinto Shrine (1996)
Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara (1998)
Shrines and Temples of Nikkō, including Nikkō Tōshō-gū, Futarasan Shrine, and Rinnō-ji (1999)
Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu (2000)
Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range (2004)
Shiretoko (2005)
Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine and its Cultural Landscape (2007)

Kazakhstan

The Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasavi (2003)
Petroglyphs within the Archaeological Landscape of Tamgaly (2004)
Saryarqa — Steppe and Lakes of Northern Kazakhstan (2008)

Kyrgyzstan

Sulayman Mountain (2009)

North Korea

Complex of Goguryeo Tombs (2004)

South Korea

Haeinsa Temple Janggyeong Panjeon, the Depositories for the Tripitaka Koreana Woodblocks (1995)
Jongmyo shrine (1995)
Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple (1995)
Changdeokgung Palace Complex (1997)
Hwaseong Fortress (1997)
Gochang, Hwasun and Ganghwa Dolmen Sites (2000)
Gyeongju Historic Areas (2000)
Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes (2007)
Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty (2009)

Laos

Town of Luang Phrabang (1995)
Vat Phou and Associated Ancient Settlements within the Champasak Cultural Landscape (2001)

Malaysia

Gunung Mulu National Park (2000)
Kinabalu Park (2000)
Melaka and George Town, Historic Cities of the Straits of Malacca (2008)

Mongolia

Uvs Nuur Basin (shared with Russian Federation) (2003)
Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape (2004)

Nepal

Kathmandu Valley (1979)
Sagarmatha National Park (1979)
Royal Chitwan National Park (1984)
Lumbini, the Birthplace of the Lord Buddha (1997)

New Zealand

Te Wahipounamu - South West New Zealand (Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park, Westland/Tai Poutini National Park, Mount Aspiring National Park and Fiordland National Park) (1990)
Tongariro National Park (1990)
New Zealand sub-antarctic islands (Snares Islands, Bounty Islands, Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands and Campbell Islands) (1998)

Pakistan

Archaeological Ruins at Moenjodaro (1980)
Buddhist Ruins at Takht-i-Bahi and Neighbouring City Remains at Sahr-i-Bahlol (1980)
Taxila (1980)
Fort and Shalimar Gardens in Lahore (1981)
Historic Monuments of Thatta (1981)
Rohtas Fort (1997)

Papua New Guinea

Kuk Early Agricultural Site (2008)

Philippines

Baroque Churches of the Philippines, including San Agustin Church, Paoay Church, Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion (Santa Maria) Church, and Santo Tomas de Villanueva (Miag-ao) Church (1993)
Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park (1993)
Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras, including Banaue-Batad Cluster, Banaue-Bangaan Cluster, Hunduan Cluster, Mayoyao Cluster and Kiangan Cluster (1995)
Historic Town of Vigan (1999)
Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park (1999)

Russian Federation

From the Asian part of Russia only.

Golden Mountains of Altai (1991)
Lake Baikal (1996)
Volcanoes of Kamchatka (1996)
Western Caucasus (also under Europe) (1999)
Central Sikhote-Alin (2001)
Citadel, Ancient City, and Fortress Buildings of Derbent, Dagestan (also under Europe) (2003)
Uvs Nuur Basin (shared with Mongolia) (2003)
Natural System of Wrangel Island Reserve (2004)

Back to the top of World Heritage Sites in Asia Pacific

Back to the homepage of Penang Heritage City.com