The "Historic Center of Macao," China's only 2005 submission for World Heritage listing, was approved at the 29th session of the World Heritage Committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). With 20 historic buildings around the old quarter, joined up by interlacing squares and streets, Macao's historic center has the biggest, best-preserved and most complete concentration of Chinese and Western buildings than any district in China. Over four centuries of cultural exchange between China and the Western world are represented in this jewel.

Since it joined the Convention Concerning the Protection of the Cultural and Natural Heritage in 1985, China now has 31 world heritage sites, ranking third in the world. Since 2004, massive renovations have been made to Beijing's six cultural heritage sites Ðthe Ming Tombs, Great Wall, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace and Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian, all of which are planned for completion by 2008.

In additon, China also has a rich non-material cultural heritage, one of the world's richest. Its kunqu Opera, and the art of playing the guqin (seven-stringed zither), Uygur Muqam music and Mongolian pastoral song have been included on the UNESCO list of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. In 2005, China, for the first time, submitted a joint application with another country (Mongolia) for Mongolian pastoral song to be entered on the list. The ancient Naxi Dongba literature manuscripts and the list of successful candidates in the Qing Dynasty imperial examinations have also been inscribed on the Memory of the World. In 2001, the Chinese Tibetan epic King Gesar, the world's longest epic, was listed by UNESCO in the world millennium memorials.

China's World Cultural and Natural Heritage Sites

1. The Great Wall (Beijing, 1987, World Cultural Heritage)

2. The Imperial Palace of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (World cultural Heritage:  the Forbidden City, Beijing, 1987; the Imperial Palace of the Qing Dynasty in Shenyang, Liaoning Province, 2004)

3. "Peking Man" Site at Zhoukoudian (Beijing, 1987, World Cultural Heritage)

4.  Mogao Grottoes at Dunhuang (Gansu Province, 1987, World Cultural Heritage)

5.  Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum and the Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses (Shaanxi  Province, 1987, World Cultural Heritage)

6.  Mount Taishan (Shandong Province, 1987, World Cultural and Natural Heritage)

7.  Mount Huangshan (Anhui Province, 1990, World Cultural and Natural Heritage)

8.  Jiuzhaigou Valley (Sichuan Province, 1992, World Natural Heritage)

9.  Huanglongsi Scenic Spot (Sichuan Province, 1992, World Natural Heritage)

10. Wulingyuan Scenic Spot (Hunan Province, 1992, World Natural Heritage)

11. Chengde Mountain Summer Resort and Eight Outer Temples (Hebei Province, 1994,  World Cultural Heritage)

12. Potala Palace (Tibet Autonomous Region, 1994, World Cultural Heritage)

13. Confucius Temple, Confucius Family Mansion and Confucius Woods at Qufu (Shandong Province, 1994, World Cultural Heritage)

14. Ancient Buildings on Mount Wudang (Hubei Province, 1994, World Cultural Heritage)

15. Mount Lushan (Jiangxi Province, 1996, World Cultural Heritage)

16. Mount Emei and the Leshan Giant Buddha (Sichuan Province, 1996, World Cultural and Natural Heritage)

17. Ancient City of Pingyao (Shanxi Province, 1997, World Cultural Heritage)

18. Suzhou Classical Gardens (Jiangsu Province, 1997, World Cultural Heritage)

19. Ancient City of Lijiang (Yunan Province, 1997, World Cultural Heritage)

20. The Summer Palace (Beijing, 1998, World Cultural Heritage)

21. The Temple of Heaven (Beijing, 1998, World Cultural Heritage)

22. Mount Wuyi (Fujian Province, 1999, World Cultural and Natural Heritage)

23. Dazu Grottoes (Chongqing, 1999, World Cultural Heritage)

24. Ming and Qing Imperial Mausoleums (World Cultural Heritage: Ming Xianling Mausoleums, Hubei Province, 2000; Qing Dongling Mausoleums and Qing Xiling Mausoleums, Hebei Province, 2000; Ming Tombs, Beijing, 2003; Ming Xiaoling Mausoleums, Jiangsu, 2003; three imperial mausoleums of Shengjing, Liaoning Province, 2004)

25. Longmen Grottoes (Henan Province, 2000, World Cultural Heritage)

26. Mount Qingcheng and Dujiang Dam (Sichuan Province, 2000, World Cultural Heritage)

27. Xidi and Hongcun--Ancient Villages in South Anhui (Anhui Provicne, 2000, World Cultural Heritage)

28. Yungang Grottoes (Shanxi Province, 2001, World Cultural Heritage)

29. Three Parallel Rivers Scene (Yunan Province, 2003, World Natural Heritage)

30  The Capital Cities and Tombs of the Ancient Koguryo Kingdom (Liaoning and Jilin Provinces, 2004, World Natural Heritage)

31. Historic Center of Macao (Macao Special Administrative Region, 2005, World Cultural Heritage)