Relics. The most interesting UNESCO sites in China

Ancient Buddhist temples that were founded more than 2,000 years ago, nature reserves of fabulous beauty, and archaeological areas – many amazing sights of China are now known all over the world. This country is famous for its unique cultural and historical traditions. They are embodied in majestic cave temples, colorful historical areas of old cities, and unique architectural structures. China is also famous for its natural attractions. It is no accident that the big Panda remains one of the main symbols of the country.

The cave temples of Mogao are one of the oldest Buddhist temples in China. They were built in the middle of the 4th century. The caves have existed for more than a thousand years. These temples are located in the eastern part of the Taklamakan desert. Caravans with silk passed here in ancient times. Buddhist preachers also traveled great distances through these roads along with merchants. Unique frescoes are considered the main value of ancient temples. The total area of the preserved drawings is about 42,000 square meters.

Artists used multi-colored glue paints for their work. They were applied directly to the dry ground. The walls and ceiling are completely covered with such frescoes in some of the caves of the complex. Many unique artifacts were discovered during the study of the ancient temple. Researchers found a huge warehouse of manuscripts here not so long ago. There were more than 20,000 manuscripts in it. It is estimated that this warehouse was founded in the 11th century.

The most unusual in the variety of manuscripts is the "Book of Divination". The oldest printed book in the world was also found in this warehouse. It's called “Diamond Sutra”. The book was published in 868. The temple complex has 492 caves at present. The ceiling height in the largest of them is 40 meters. The ceiling height in the smallest cave is only 1 meter. Buddha sculptures are also preserved in the temple in addition to the beautiful frescoes. There are 2,415 of them here. Archaeologists have been constantly working at the temple for more than 70 years. Almost the entire complex is accessible to tourists today. Next - The Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China, China

The Great Wall of China is one of the country's most famous landmarks. This is a unique architectural monument. It is found in Northern China. The length of the Great Wall of China is 8,851. 9 km. The huge wall is remarkable not only for its long length. Its width is also very large. It is from 5 to 8 meters. The average height is 6-7 meters. The wall is directed up to 10 meters in some areas. Complete article

Huanglong Reserve, China

The Huanglong Nature Reserve will impress fans of natural attractions. Its name can be translated literally as "Yellow Dragon". The main feature of this natural area is the variety of travertine terraces. They were formed from limestone tuff. These terraces cascade down from the mountain slopes. The water accumulating on the terraces has a rich azure color due to the special mineral composition of limestone. Complete article

Emei Shan Mountains, China

Emei Shan Mountain is located in Sichuan province. It is not just an important natural attraction for the people of China. They consider it a priceless Buddhist sanctuary. Volcanic activity has largely contributed to the formation of this mountainous region. You can see many interesting formations here. Lava rocks underlie them. Nature fans have been visiting this beautiful mountain area for many hundreds of years. Pilgrims also flock here. Several dozen Buddhist temples and monasteries are located on the slopes of the mountain. Complete article

Pingyao Gucheng Town, China

The ancient city of Pingyao is the only medieval city in China that has managed to completely preserve its original architectural appearance. Its area is 2, 25 square kilometers. About 45,000 people live permanently in this city. The main source of income for local residents remains the tourism industry. A huge number of tourists come to this city. They can admire the most beautiful architectural structures here. Their age is more than 500 years. Complete article

Tiantan Temple, China

An incredibly beautiful temple complex called the Temple of Heaven is located in Central Beijing. Its main component is a large temple with an unusual rounded shape. The total area of the complex is about 267 hectares. This temple complex was built in 1420. The temple is located near the Imperial Palace. Therefore, it is not deprived of the attention of tourists. Many important historical events and traditional rituals are associated with this beautiful temple. Complete article

Dazu Shike Caves, China

Dazu Caves are known for the ancient rock reliefs found in them. They are dated to the 7th-10th centuries. The cave complex is quite large. There are more than 50,000 statues of various sizes and values on its territory. Most of them belong to Buddhist culture. There are also Confucian and Taoist-themed statues here. More than 100,000 hieroglyphs have been found in these caves in addition to statues. Researchers have not been able to decipher some of them. Complete article

longmen Shiku Temple, China

The Longmen Cave Temple is no less interesting. It is located in Henan province. The construction of this temple began in the 5th century. According to available historical data, it lasted until 898. The length of the cave complex is about 1,000 meters. To date, researchers have not been able to determine the exact number of rooms in the temple, as well as works of art hidden in them. 2345 rock-cut grottoes, as well as 43 temples, have been explored at the present time. Complete article

Yungang Shiku Caves, China

Yungang Grottoes is also an important monument of Buddhist culture. They attract pilgrims. There are a total of 252 caves in the complex. All of them were carved into the rocks by hand. There are Buddhist sculptures in all the caves and niches. The 45 caves in the complex are quite large. In total, there are more than 50,000 statues in this complex. Each of the grottoes has its own unique features. You can see very beautiful fragments of stone carvings, decorative niches, and elements of ancient paintings, in addition to Buddha sculptures of various sizes. Complete article

Macau Historical Center, China

The historical district of Macau is also considered a landmark of world significance. It recalls the times of Portuguese rule. Historical monuments of various periods have been preserved in this area. You can see many unique architectural masterpieces here. They are an amazing combination of European and Eastern traditions. The Catholic Cathedral is among the main attractions of the historic district. It was built in the second half of the 16th century. It is almost completely in ruins today. Complete article

Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries, China

The Sanctuaries of the giant Panda are very popular among the fans of natural attractions. All of them are located in Sichuan province. The complex includes 9 parks and 7 reserves. Its total area is about 924.5 thousand hectares. In total, about a third of the world's giant pandas live on the territory of the nature reserve. You can also see other rare animals besides funny huge bears here. It can be a clouded leopard or a snow leopard. Complete article

South China Karst, China

You can continue exploring the unique natural attractions in southern China. Very interesting karst formations are located here. They are often called the "Stone Forest". This nature reserve covers the territory of three provinces: Yunnan, Guangxi, and Guizhou. These places have become known all over the world for their unique karst formations. They were formed here under the influence of volcanic activity, water, and wind. Complete article

Chengjiang Archeological Preserve, China

It will be interesting to visit the Chengjiang Paleontological Park for those who have long dreamed of visiting a real archaeological reserve. It is located in the eponymous county of China. The area of this park is 512 hectares. Unique fossils, as well as other archaeological artifacts, were discovered on its territory. As the researchers were able to establish, samples of fossils of almost 200 species of ancient animals were found here. They belong to the early Cambrian period. Complete article

Da Yunhe Grand Canal, China

The Grand Canal is another permanent symbol of China and one of the country's most recognizable landmarks. This navigable channel is one of the oldest in the world. It took almost two thousand years to build it. This canal began to be built in the 6th century BC. The formation of a unique hydraulic structure was fully completed in the thirteenth-century ad. The canal still does not lose its importance, despite the fact that more than one hundred years have passed since its construction. Complete article

Jiuzhaigou Valley, China

The amazing Jiuzhaigou Valley is located in Sichuan province. This is a national reserve of fabulous beauty. It is considered one of the most valuable in the world. The area of the valley is about 720 square kilometers. Local residents began to highlight the importance of this area hundreds of years ago. Many Tibetan shrines were located in the valley. Free access to this territory was closed until 1972. The number of tourists visiting these picturesque places increases every year since the opening. Complete article