UNESCO Heritage Sites

South African Government Introduces Online Portal for Heritage Sites for the first time ever, South Africans are now able to air their views online regarding the protection of their cultural heritage. South African Heritage Resources Agency This after government through the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) introduced a heritage resource management web based database portal, the South African Heritage Resource Information System (SAHRIS) (www.sahra.org.za/sahris). SAHRA public relations officer, Berri Samuels said the portal is an exciting, first of its kind initiative in the country.

The History Channel recently sponsored a global teach-in in the hopes of confronting the tendency of textbooks to avoid a global approach to American history-a problem that often leads students to conclude that America’s story is largely separate from a broader history of humanity. The teach-in joined historians Albert Camarillo and Hsin-Mei Agnes Hsu with students from across the globe to discuss key events in world history that link nation-states in a shared history. The panel focused on UNESCO heritage sites, because, as Hsu points out: “World heritage sites are not just beautiful things, beautiful places, they tell very powerful stories.” From the slave trading forts in Ghana to the Great Wall of China to the remnants of Auschwitz, UNESCO sites draw millions of people each year, and serve as the primary source for national histories for many of these visitors. There are 962 world heritage sites, including 745 cultural, 188 natural, and 29 mixed.

Admitting that the department faced hardships in maintaining the historical places in Jammu and Kashmir due to years of violence, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) today said it will restore every such monument in the state to its pristine glory. Restore every historical monument "We will try to restore every historical monument to its pristine form. We faced difficulties during the years of violence, but now we are focusing on it," Director (Epigraphy) for Arabic and Persian Inscriptions, ASI G S Khwaja told reporters at a function here.

The UNESCO Director General, Irina Bokova, praised here today the high quality of the Cuban literacy method Yes I can, while recognized the educational history of the country. Speaking to reporters, Bokova said Cuba is an important example for other countries in education with this method that is implemented in different regions of the planet as part of education campaigns. She added that recently had the opportunity to visit a literacy center in a community in Timor Leste that successfully applies Yes, I can, "which we are trying to enter in several African nations."

Multi-storeyed defensive village houses in Kaiping display a complex and flamboyant fusion of Chinese and Western structural and decorative forms. They reflect the significant role of emigre Kaiping people in the development of several countries in South Asia, Australasia and North America, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Continent: Asia Country: China Category: Cultural Criterion: (II) (III)(IV) Date of Inscription: 2007

Buddhist Religious Complex Sites of Chinese Heritage consists The Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple Monastery and Norbulingka. The Potala Palace symbolizes Tibetan Buddhism and its central role in the traditional administration of Tibet was 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. Continent: Asia Country: China Category: Cultural Criterion: (I)(IV)(VI) Date of Inscription: 1994

Entering Isfahan’s Armenian Cathedral of the Holy Savior on the UNESCO's World Heritage List is among the priorities of our organization, Head of the Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Office in Isfahan Province Mohsen Moslehi told Iran’s news agency IRNA in an interview. According to Moslehi, the Armenian Cathedral of the Holy Savior, one of the valuable historical monuments in Isfahan, attracts many tourists from around the world. Referring to Armenian cultural monuments located in the territory of Iran, deputy head of Iranian Cultural Heritage Organization Masoud Alavian Sadr said to Iran’s news agency Fars recently in an interview, “Karakilisa Church located in Iran’s West Azarbaijan Province has already been entered on the UNESCO's World Heritage List along with 9 Iranian cultural and historical monuments. Another Armenian church, St. Mary, is located in Maku, West Azarbaijan. St. Stephanos (10-12 centuries) is another significant Armenian church, which is l...

The State Tourism Department, in association with the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), will form a five-member committee for cleaning and maintaining hygiene at heritage sites in the State, besides, marketing Tiruchendur Kanda Sashti festival in a big way. Under the clean and tidy programme Under the clean and tidy programme, the department initially plans to cover Mamallapuram, Thanjavur Birhadeeswara Temple, Kanyakumari, Rameswaram, Tranquebar, Madurai Meenakshi temple, Srirangam temple, Tiruchi, Tiruvannamalai temple, Velankanni, Udhagamandalam and Kodaikanal. A meeting under the chairmanship of Tourism Minister S. Gokula Indira was held on Wednesday in which representatives of Archaeology Survey of India, Tourism Department, Municipal Administration, HR&CE, INTACH (Puducherry and Chennai regions) were present.

Enrolment into primary schools is slowing down in Sub-Saharan Africa especially Nigeria, Country Director of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), Joseph Ngu, said in Abuja. Very strong political will improve literacy rates Ngu, who spoke at the Revitalizing Adult and Youth Literacy in Nigeria project review said, "very strong political will" is required to ensure that literacy rates improve to move Nigeria closer to achieving Education For All (EFA). He said the global economic crisis is threatening to erode past successes achieved under the EFA initiative but UNESCO is intensifying efforts to make quality education a reality for all.

The Buddhist tradition of religious cave art achieved its first major impact at Yungang, where it developed its own distinct character and artistic power. The Yungang cave art represents the successful fusion of Buddhist religious symbolic art from south and central Asia with Chinese cultural traditions, starting in the 5th century AD under imperial auspices. At the same time it vividly illustrates the power and endurance of Buddhist belief in China. Continent: Asia Country: China Category: Cultural Criterion: (I) (II) (III)(IV) Date of Inscription: 2001

Sanfang Qixiang (Three Lanes and Seven Alleys) and the “Maritime Silk Road”, two historic sites in Fuzhou, were included on China’s World Cultural Heritage Tentative List by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage (SACH) at the World Cultural Heritage Conference held in Beijing on Nov 17. This is the first time that Fuzhou heritage sites made the list. It marks a significant step forward in UNESCO World Heritage recognition. Fuzhou historic sites World Heritage sites refer to natural landscapes and cultural relics with prominent significance and universal values confirmed by UNESCO and the World Cultural Committee. Fuzhou co-submitted the “Maritime Silk Road” with seven other cities, Guangzhou, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Ningbo, Yangzhou, Penglai and Beihai, for the tentative list. Historic sites along the “Maritime Silk Road” include King Langya’s Benevolent Rule Stele in Gulou district.

The Pitons Management Area contains the greater part of a collapsed stratovolcano contained within the volcanic system, known to geologists as the Soufriere Volcanic Centre. Prominent within the volcanic landscape are two eroded remnants of lava domes, Gros Piton and Petit Piton. Continent: North America Country: Saint Lucia Category: Natural Criterion: (VII)(VIII) Date of Inscription: 2004

The Heritage City of Meknes has exerted a considerable influence on the development of the civil and military architecture and works of art. The name of Meknes goes back to the Meknassa, the great Berber tribe that dominated eastern Morocco to as far as the Tafililet and which produced Moulay ldriss I, founder of the Moroccan state and the ldrissid dynasty in the 8th century AD. Continent: Africa Country: Morocco Category: Cultural Criterion: (IV) Date of Inscription: 1996

The age-old battle over whether the thick coffee enjoyed by Greeks and Turks is Greek or Turkish has reached the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as noted by the Italian news agency ANSA med in an article headlined Ankara offers Turkish coffee to UNESCO. According to the article, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in Turkey is readying an appeal for Turkish coffee to be included in the List of Immaterial Cultural Heritage. Turkish coffee The conflict between Turkey and Greece about “Turkish coffee” is well-known, although the particular delicacy is known by other names as well, including Greek, Armenian, Arabic, Cypriot and others. The earliest evidence of coffee drinking comes from 15th-Century Yemen and it soon spread to Cairo and Mecca. In the 1640′s, the Ottoman chronicler İbrahim Peçevi reported the opening of the first coffeehouse in Constantinople.

Southern China Xiamen Gulangyu Island was recently listed in the Preparatory Directory for World Cultural Heritages of China, a giant step towards achieving UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site status. According to the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, any place in China that attempts to apply for World Cultural Heritage must be listed on the Preparatory Directory for World Cultural Heritage Sites of China first. The preparatory directory is renewed every five years. Gulangyu Island has boosted its efforts to attain UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site status since November, 2008, and breezed through the several assessments it has undergone in past years. It has launched a series of campaigns which include environmental remediation, expansion of its three ferry terminals, and replacement of signboards, in order to win the islet a place on the World Culture Heritage list in 2016.

Peruvian President Ollanta Humala met the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Irina Bokova, during an official visit to UNESCO. At UNESCO the president also met the permanent delegates of the six States Parties to the World Heritage Convention involved in the preparation of the multinational and serial candidature of the Qhapaq Ñan, also known as the Andean Road System, for inscription on UNESCO’s World Heritage List (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru). Latin American republics welcomed President Humala Members of the diplomatic corps of the six Latin American republics welcomed President Humala, who was accompanied by Rafael Roncagliolo, Minister of External Relations; Luis Peirano, Minister of Culture; Luis Castilla, Minister of Economy and Finances; Orlando Velásquez, Chair of the National Assembly of Presidents of Universities; and Manuel Rodríguez, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Peru to UN...

Controversial new telecommunications rules proposed by the United Nations threaten global freedom of expression online and may violate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Unesco has warned. The proposed regulations, to be debated by 193 nations at the World Conference on international Telecommunications in Dubai next month, have been roundly attacked by an array of organisations, from multinational technology companies to civil rights groups and labour unions. And now, in an unprecedented intervention, Unesco’s Director for Freedom of Expression and Media Development, Professor Guy Berger, has warned that the new rules will not only “threaten freedom of expression” but may also “incur extensive public criticism that could impact upon the UN more broadly.”

The process to propose the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple for inclusion in the World Heritage List has begun. It would go a long way in conserving the heritage monument. Professor N Ramaswamy belongs to department of archaeology at the Kollam-based TKM College of Engineering giving support for preparing the rough draft of the proposal. After preparing the rough draft, it will be united into a suitable proposal and sent to the state government. It will have to be accepted by the Indian Heritage Committee before being forwarded to the UNESCO for inclusion in the tentative list for World Heritage Sites. A preliminary report of 25 pages to be prepared and sent to the Indian Heritage Committee and after its approval, it will be forwarded to UNESCO. Following that, a detailed report will to be sent to UNESCO. If the suggestion fructifies, after being placed in the tentative list for one year, the temple will be placed in the final list for inclusion in the World Heritage Sites.

Karangasem regency in east Bali is now facing huge challenges as it has been declared one of Indonesia's heritage sites and will be nominated as the country's candidate next year to be included on the UNESCO World Heritage list. On Nov. 8, in conjunction with National Spatial Planning Day, Deputy Regent of Karangasem I Made Sukerana signed an agreement with the Public Works Ministry in Jakarta committing to preserve historical and natural assets in the regency as part of its effort to make the regency a national heritage site. Karangasem won the hearts Prior to signing the agreement, Karangasem was among 10 nominees out of 48 candidates to become national heritage sites. Karangasem regency and Denpasar mayoralty were selected to represent Bali in the national nominations. Led by Azril Malaon, from the ministry's directorate general for spatial planning, and Lorena T. Adi Sakti from BPPI, Karangasem won the hearts of the jurors as it possesses extraordinary natural ...

There are more UNESCO World Heritage sites in Italy than in any other nation, but as the financial crisis bites, will Italy's heritage crumble to dust? Italy's financial woes are well reported. But there is one casualty of the shortage that gets less coverage: The reduced funding for the country's museums and monuments. Just a half-hour train trip from central Rome lays a little-known historical landmark that may soon be forced to close its gates. The Castello di Giulio II The Castello di Giulio II or Julius the Second's Castle is a centuries-old structure. Overlooking the ruins of Ostia Antica, the ancient harbor city, it has always been over-shadowed by its more famous neighbour, but until recently, it had managed to thrive. Its future, however, is uncertain.

A group of about 100 monks and Buddhists called on the United Nations and Unesco yesterday to help save the remains of ancient Buddha sculptures threatened by a copper mining project in Afghanistan. The group, led by the World Fellowship of Buddhist Youth (WFBY), made the call during a brief rally in front of the UN building on Ratchadamnoen Road in Bangkok before handing their petition to Unesco officials on Sukhumvit Road. Stop Mining Project Without the intervention of the UN and Unesco to suspend the mining project, the ancient remains of Buddha statues at Mes Aynak would perish, the protesters said during their rally. Mes Aynak (little copper well) is a site located 40km southeast of the capital Kabul, in a barren region of Logar province.

Valletta, Malta's capital, is to be the European Capital of Culture in 2018, the European Commission has announced. Valletta is a UNESCO world heritage site. Not only is it one of the smallest capital cities in the world but with its 320 monuments, all within an area of 55 ha, Valletta is one of the most concentrated historic areas and popular heritage site in the world. The capital of Malta The capital of Malta is 'one of the rare urban inhabited sites that has preserved in near entirety its original features', according to UNESCO. Boasting a varied history, Valletta was ruled successively by the Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs and the Order of the Knights of St John.t

The Historic Centre of Macao was settled by fishing people long before the arrival of foreigners. It was a sheltered bay on the peninsula and a stopping point for seafarers sailing down the Chinese coast from Fujian province. The temple for the Goddess A-Ma, built in the late 15th century, is testimony to their faith. The Portuguese first arrived to China in 1513, visiting the famous market of Canton. In 1557, they arrived in Macao, which became the oldest permanent European settlement in East Asia. Continent: Asia Country: China Category: Cultural Criterion: (II)(III) (IV) (VI) Date of Inscription: 2005

The Chinese Classical Gardens of Suzhou are masterpieces of Chinese landscape garden design in which art, nature, and ideas are integrated perfectly to create ensembles of great beauty and peaceful harmony, and the gardens are integral to the entire historic urban plan. The Canglang Pavilion was built on the order of the Northern Song poet Su Sunqin in the early 11th century, on the site of an earlier, destroyed garden. During the Yuan and Ming dynasties (1279-1644) it became the Mystical Concealment Temple. Continent: Asia Country: China Category: Cultural Criterion: (I)(II) (III) (IV) (V) Date of Inscription: 1997

The World Heritage Tombs of the Ancient Koguryo Kingdom represents exceptional testimony to the vanished Koguryo civilization. The Capital Cities of the Koguryo Kingdom are an early example of mountain cities, later to be imitated by neighbouring cultures. The tombs, particularly the important stele and a long inscription in one of the tombs, show the impact of Chinese culture on the Koguryo (who did not develop their own form of writing). The paintings in the tombs, while showing artistic skills and specific style, are also an example of the strong impact from other cultures. Continent: Asia Country: China Category: Cultural Criterion: (I) (II) (III) (IV) (V) Date of Inscription: 2004

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) opened the Regional Research Centre for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage in West and Central Asia in Tehran on Saturday, Iran's Mehr News Agency (MNA) reported. First Vice President Mohammadreza Rahimi, and a number of officials from Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handcrafts and Tourism Organisation and the Unesco office in Tehran attended the opening ceremony of the centre. This office was established in Tehran based on an agreement signed between Unesco and Iran in August 2010. The centre has been set up to provide contributions towards implementation of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in West and Central Asia.

Indian Archaeologist K. Venkateswara Rao who found the prehistoric rock shelter on the top of the Saidala Hill near Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh, India. Did the prehistoric man straddle the hillocks near Srikakulam town in Andhra Pradesh much like the Bhimbetka in Madhya Pradesh, UNESCO's World Heritage Site? The rocky landscape near Srikakulam may not boast of the richness and the depth of the rock paintings of Bhimbetka that fetched it international recognition but several prehistoric rock shelters found on Sailada hill-top and Chittivalsa area in the recent past are equally significant, contend archaeologists here.

Wadi El-Hitan, Egypt's only natural heritage site on the UNESCO World Heritage List resembles a lunar landscape dotted with fossils of species over 40 million years old. "Wadi El-Hitan is the most important site in the world to demonstrate one of the iconic changes that make up the record of life on Earth: the evolution of the whales. It portrays vividly their form and mode of life during their transition from land animals to a marine existence" – The World Heritage Committee. Wadi El-Hitan Valley of the Whales Pigs cannot fly, but whales can walk, or better said, could walk, and they once roamed parts of present-day Egypt until, one day, something happened … something that can be understood better today thanks to the fossils at Wadi El-Hitan (Valley of the Whales), declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005. As the World Heritage Committee put it "It exceeds the value of other comparable sites in the world in terms of the number, concentration and qualit...

An UNESCO Award Goes to Perak, which now has its Lenggong Valley recognised as a world heritage site, will receive the much-awaited instrument of recognition at a ceremony in the district this weekend. Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin was given the instrument by Unesco representative Dr Hubert J. Gijzen, who is also the director of Unesco's office in Jakarta, at Malaysia's first Unesco Day celebration. UNESCO Recognised Lenggong Valley Muhyiddin, who is the Malaysian National Commission for Unesco president, passed the instrument to Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim, who was present at the event. In a statement here yesterday, the ministry expressed pride in getting the Lenggong Valley listed among the 953 world heritage sites recognised by Unesco.

Venice is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but ironically, cruise ship tourism is threatening to overwhelm the sinking city. Can a balance be found before it turns into "Veniceland?" Each day, more than 60,000 people visit Venice - more than the entire population of the city. Of those, an increasing number are from cruise ships; with a 439 percent increase in cruise dockings in the past 15 years, according to statistics from the Venice Passenger Terminal. The fabled Italian port is now the most popular cruise destination in Europe. Great number of Venice visitors It is feared that the great number of visitors are damaging the city whose economy is based around them. "Tourism is a double-edged sword," said Peter Debrine, head of the World Heritage and Sustainable Tourism Programme at UNESCO, in an interview with DW. "You can't have those kinds of numbers come into a site and not have a negative impact."

Yin Xu is an ancient capital city that rose in the late Shang Dynasty, a time of prosperity of Chinese Bronze Age. Around the 17th century BC, the Shang tribe, an important branch of the Chinese nation, beat the Xia Dynasty and established a slave dynasty in central China, the second of its kind in Chinese history. The territory of this new dynasty extended to the great ocean in the east, the present-day Sichuan in the west, the Liaohe River Basin in the north, and the Dongtinghu Lake in the south. It was one of the most powerful states in the East Asia during the Bronze Age. Continent: Asia Country: China Category: Cultural Criterion: (II)(III) (IV) (VI) Date of Inscription: 2006

A cultural exchange between India and Australia aimed at reviving ancient heritage in this country culminated in the inauguration of Kaladham Museum and an exhibition in Vijaynagar in Karnataka as part of the Oz Fest, a four-month-long cultural festival. Set up by the Jindal Art Foundation, the Kaladham Museum has as one of the key exhibits the project "Place Hampi", a three-dimensional visual chronicle of the Unesco heritage site. It has been curated by Sarah Kederline at Museum Victoria. "Place Hampi" "Place Hampi" – an interactive series of stunning photographs, virtual walks and texts on Vijayanagar was commissioned by the Jindal Art Foundation. It was permanently installed at the museum 25 km from the World Heritage Site of Hampi Tuesday as a study of Indian's living cultural heritage, a statement by Oz Fest said. According to Sarah Kederline, the project took 30 years of research.

A forum marking the 40th anniversary of the 1972 adoption of UNESCO's World Heritage Convention convened Tuesday in Kyoto, with about 600 experts on cultural assets and nature conservation from around the world participating. The three-day meeting will discuss the conditions of World Heritage sites and how to preserve them. The events Tuesday were to include an opening address by UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova and a speech by tea ceremony master Sen Genshitsu, Japan's goodwill ambassador to the global body. A panel discussion on preserving world heritage properties was also scheduled.

Casona El Buque, an UNESCO heritage site in Lima, Peru collapsed after its structure was weakened by a fire. A CBC News video shows that fire officials warned bystanders to move back as the roof caved in and collapsed onto the street, bringing down parts of the building's facade. Dust and debris filled the air. Later in the video, fire officials hosed down the rubble. Men wearing police vests rescued a golden-furred dog from the building. The animal appears to have been stuck in an upper story, as one man standing on a ladder retrieved the pup through a window and carried it down to safety. People wearing street clothes helped carry furniture and other items out of the collapsed building.

Rabat, the capital city of Morocco, has been named a UNESCO World Heritage site, it was announced today. At a meeting of the UNESCO council in Petersburg the city was picked out as one of the world's cultural treasures owing to the array of archaeological sites that feature in the Rabat district. The heritage list is now increasing. Including the Islamic fortress These include the Islamic fortress Kasbah of the Udayas, the city's Almohad gates and wall, the 12th century Hassan Mosque, the historic Medina shopping area and the Mausoleum of Mohammed. Being awarded the UNESCO classification means that Rabat is now a protected area and extra funding will be available to ensure the area is maintained and conserved.

A United Nations body has called for an immediate halt to work to reopen a tin mine in Cornwall. Unesco (the United Nations' Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) said the work should be stopped at South Crofty, near Camborne. It said it was not properly consulted before planning consent was granted for the work in Cornwall and West Devon's Mining World Heritage Site. Managers at Crofty said Unesco's call was "hard to fathom". Government 'not informed' Unesco granted the heritage status in July 2006, saying the "substantial remains are a testimony to the contribution Cornwall and West Devon made to the Industrial Revolution in the rest of Britain and to the fundamental influence the area had on the mining world at large". South Crofty mine originally closed in 1998 after the price of tin hit an all-time low.

Delhi's hope for getting a world heritage city tag by 2014 has been delayed by another year. The Archaeological Survey of India said the final nomination dossier for Delhi's world heritage tag cannot be submitted to UNESCO before January-February, 2014 as the tentative nomination dossier, which was put up on the UNESCO website in May this year, has to remain on the website for at least a year before the final dossier is submitted. Heritage city tag has been stretched till 2015 "When the final dossier is submitted by a state party, UNESCO takes about a year before making the final announcement around May-June. We were hoping that Delhi's final dossier would be submitted by January-February, 2013. But now Delhi's earliest chances of getting a world heritage city tag has been stretched till 2015," said a senior official from Intach Delhi Chapter, which is preparing the final dossier.

The strong protest by India, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee has agreed to revisit India's proposal seeking nomination of five hill forts — Ranthambore Fort, Gagron Fort, Jhalawar Fort, Chittorgarh Fort, Amber Fort and Kumbhalgarh Fort in Rajasthan — for according world heritage status. A senior official in the Culture Ministry said that a new team from International Convention of Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), an advisor to the UNESCO would evaluate the condition of the forts from November 23-26 and submit a report to the world heritage body to take a final decision in the matter. "We hope the forts would make it to the world heritage list this time," the official said. Reconsider the selection Much to the embarrassment of India, a few months back the UN technical committee (UNESCO) had rejected its nominations for the forts saying, "The selection is wrong and a broader selection of forts should have been chosen ( in particular the nomination covers only...

The freshwater sea Lake Baikal is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site and was also voted as one of Russia's Seven Wonders. It's not hard to see why? The wooden boat gently rocks on the waves. Overhead is a perfect azure sky broken only by the sculpted wings of swallows. Peering over the side of the boat, we can see through 120ft of crystal-clear water, which then runs into a darkness teeming with fish and rare plants. We could be forgiven for thinking we were out at sea – if it were not for the conspicuous lack of a salty tang in the air. The freshwater sea Siberians believe that Lake Baikal's water has curative properties, and habitually call it "the freshwater sea". It is rich in oxygen, and as pure as distilled water. But in winter, its surface becomes like heavy-duty safety glass. So thick is the ice when the lake freezes that during the Russo-Japanese war of 1904, railway lines were laid over it which successfully supported 65 steam engines and 2,...

Spring Lake, the iconic pool fed by more than 200 springs, may meet the criteria to be eligible for a World Heritage Site designation, Texas State University officials and residents say. The lake is believed to be one of the longest continually inhabited sites in North America. Andrew Sansom, executive director of the Texas State River Systems Institute, said spear points provide archaeological evidence that humans have lived in the area surrounding Spring Lake for more than 12,000 years. San Marcos' Spring Lake That history, along with the lake's spiritual importance to American Indians and early Spanish settlers, is among the reasons why it could deserve the World Heritage designation from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Sansom and other proponents said. "I don't think there's another university in the world that has a resource like this on its campus," Sansom said.

Korea's traditional folk song "Arirang" is almost certain to be on UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage list next month, Seoul officials said Monday. Arirang was among 18 nominations that have been recommended for the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by a subsidiary body of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, according to the Cultural Heritage Administration. A final decision is next month A final decision is due to be made at the committee's meeting scheduled for Dec. 3-7 at the U.N. body's headquarters in Paris. Given that there have been no known eliminations of nominations sent to the final round, chances are very high that Arirang will be selected, officials at the government agency said.

Year 2012 is a banner year for the Philippines in conservation and management of World Heritage properties. The world Heritage cities did heritage achievements. Last month, the Unesco World Heritage Center announced in Paris that the Historic City of Vigan won the highest award for the Best Conservation Management of World Heritage Properties. Last June, the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordillera was removed from the World Heritage in Danger List, with high recognition being given to the Ifugao community by the members of the World Heritage Committee during its 36th Annual Session in St Petersburg, Russian Federation. The Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordillera The Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordillera, a World Heritage property composed of five terrace-clusters in Ifugao province, had been placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger because of the site's deterioration over the years due to overlapping factors, including weak management systems; conflict bet...

After five years of celebrating Ontario's only UNESCO World Heritage site, the Rideau Canal Festival has been suspended indefinitely, its board of directors announced. Decreases in government funding as well as difficulty in finding corporate sponsors led to the decision, said the festival's executive director Michel Gauthier. When the event was founded in 2008, the city contributed $20,000, the federal government's heritage department gave $200,000 and Parks Canada chipped in $75,000. Last year, those contributions were down to $10,000, $98,000 and $0 respectively. Parks Canada, which originally offered a three-year investment, decided not to renew its support, Mr. Gauthier said. Sufficient Fund not raising Because the festival is not gated, without visitors paying admission or purchasing items within it, all revenues came from government and corporate sponsors. But as government funding decreased, the festival became less of a viable option for corporations to in...

A spectacular Wulingyuan Scenic Historic Interest Area in China stretching over more than 26,000 ha in China's Hunan Province, the site is dominated by more than 3,000 narrow sandstone pillars and peaks, many over 200 m high. Between the peaks lie ravines and gorges with streams, pools and waterfalls, some 40 caves, and two large natural bridges. In addition to the striking beauty of the landscape, the region is also noted for the fact that it is home to a number of endangered plant and animal species. Continent: Asia Country: China Category: Natural Criterion: (VII) Date of Inscription: 1992

Scientific work at the Zhoukoudian Peking Man Site in China lays 42 km south-west of Beijing, is still underway. So far, it has led to the discovery of the remains of Sinanthropus pekinensis, who lived in the Middle Pleistocene, along with various objects, and remains of Homo sapiens sapiens dating as far back as 18,000–11,000 B.C. The site is not only an exceptional reminder of the prehistorical human societies of the Asian continent, but also illustrates the process of evolution. Continent: Asia Country: China Category: Cultural Criterion: (II)(IV) Date of Inscription: 2011

The majestic site of the sacred Mount Tai (Taishan), with its dense forests and ancient temples complementing each other has been the object of imperial pilgrimage for some 2,000 years, and the artistic masterpieces contained within it are in perfect harmony with the natural landscape. It has always been a source of inspiration to Chinese artists and scholars, and symbolizes ancient Chinese civilizations and beliefs.t Continent: Asia Country: China Category: Mixed Heritage Site Criterion: (I)(II) (III) (IV) (V) (VI) (VII) Date of Inscription: 1987

Huangshan, known as 'the loveliest mountain of China', was acclaimed through art and literature during a good part of Chinese history (e.g. the Shanshui 'mountain and water' style of the mid-16th century). Today it holds the same fascination for visitors, poets, painters and photographers who come on pilgrimage to the site, which is renowned for its magnificent scenery made up of many granite peaks and rocks emerging out of a sea of clouds. Continent: Asia Country: China Category: Mixed Heritage Site Criterion: (II)(VII) (X) Date of Inscription: 1990

The group of caves at Mogao represents a unique artistic achievement as much by the organization of space into cells and temples built on five levels as by the production of more than 2000 sculptures carved out of the rock walls, then covered with clay and painted, and the approximately 45,000 m2 of murals, among which are many masterpieces of Chinese art. Continent: Asia Country: China Category: Cultural Criterion: (I)(II) (III) (IV) (V) (VI) Date of Inscription: 1987

The high cultural level and sophisticated society of Tang dynasty China is encapsulated in the exceptional stone carvings of the Longmen Grottoes, which illustrate the perfection of a long-established art form which was to play a highly significant role in the cultural evolution of this region of Asia. Work began on the Longmen Grottoes in 493, when Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei dynasty moved his capital to Luoyang. Over the next four centuries this work continued; it can be divided into four distinct phases. Continent: Asia Country: China Category: Cultural Criterion: (I) (II)(III) Date of Inscription: 2000

The Imperial Palaces bear exceptional testimony to Chinese civilization, being true reserves of landscapes, architecture, furnishings and objects of art, as well as containing exceptional evidence to the living traditions and the customs of shamanism practised by the Manchu people for centuries. They illustrate the grandeur of the imperial institution from the Qing dynasty to the earlier Ming and Yuan dynasties, as well as Manchu traditions, and present evidence on the evolution of this architecture in the 17th and 18th centuries. Continent: Asia Country: China Category: Cultural Criterion: (I) (II) (III) (IV) Date of Inscription: 2004