Forbidden City
The imperial palace described on its own page. Built 1406 to 1420.
Ancient Sites of China
Ten places that carry thousands of years of Chinese history, from palaces to caves to a mountain.
The ten sites
Great Wall
A system of walls and fortifications across northern China. Early sections date back more than two thousand years, and the best-preserved parts mostly come from the Ming dynasty. UNESCO inscribed it in 1987.
Temple of Heaven
An altar complex where emperors performed ceremonies and prayers for a good harvest. Its round Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is one of Beijing's best-known buildings. UNESCO inscribed it in 1998.
Summer Palace
An imperial garden of lakes, hills and halls around Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake, used as a retreat from the heat of the main palace. It was rebuilt after damage in 1860. UNESCO inscribed it in 1998.
Terracotta Army
Thousands of life-sized clay soldiers buried near the tomb of Qin Shihuang, the first emperor of a unified China. Farmers found the site in 1974. UNESCO inscribed it in 1987.
Mogao Caves
A network of cave temples on the Silk Road, decorated with Buddhist wall paintings and sculptures over many centuries. A hidden library of manuscripts was found there around 1900. UNESCO inscribed it in 1987.
Potala Palace
A palace-fortress on Marpo Ri hill, long the winter residence of the Dalai Lamas and a centre of Tibetan Buddhism and government. UNESCO inscribed it in 1994.
Ming Tombs
The burial place of thirteen Ming emperors, set in a valley and reached by a long avenue called the Sacred Way. UNESCO inscribed it in 2000.
Mount Tai
One of China's Five Great Mountains, climbed by emperors for ceremonies and covered with temples, inscriptions and stairways. UNESCO inscribed it in 1987.
Longmen Grottoes
Thousands of caves and niches cut into limestone cliffs along a river, holding a great many Buddhist statues, including very large carved figures. UNESCO inscribed it in 2000.
A note on dates
Most of these places grew over many centuries, so a single date is only part of the story. Dates here are approximate, and the year given for UNESCO is when the site was first inscribed on the World Heritage List.