The "offcial English name" for Quanzhou is 泉州：宋元中国的世界海洋商贸中心（QUANZHOU：EMPORIUM OF THE WORLD IN SONG-YUAN CHINA）

2024 TBD

Can anyone explain the two Chinese Silk Road tentative sites? Is it a QA problem with Unesco, with us or is this intentional? Or is one a former site and should be flagged as such?

Unesco:
2016 - The Chinese Section of the Silk Roads
http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/6093

2008 - Chinese Section of the Silk Road: Land routes in Henan Province, Shaanxi Province, Gansu Province, Qinghai Province, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region; Sea Routes in Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province and Quanzhou City, Fujian Province - from Western-Han Dynasty to Qing Dynasty
http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5335

Our site:
https://www.worldheritagesite.org/tentative/id/5335
https://www.worldheritagesite.org/tentative/id/6093

The 2016 seems to be a more recent incarnation of the 2008 one.

We just follow the UNESCO list is and they just represent what China tells them their Tentative List is at a given moment.

Being confined within China's border, the only travel choice I have is to tick different components of WHS as well as the many TWHS.
In my search, I found that we miss Jianglangshan in our map. Also the current site website listed is not working. Here are the official sites of each component - except for Danxiashan, they have English language but limited info compare to Mandarin.

1. & 2. Chishui - West Section andEast Seaction
(Tourism Site URL) english.csdxcn.com
3. & 4. Taining - North Section and South Section
URL: www.taininggeopark.com
5. Langshan
URL: www.langshanhong.com
6. Danxiashan
URL: www.toursdxs.com
7. Longhushan - Longhushan Section
URL: www.longhushan.com.cn
8. Longhushan - Guifeng Section
URL: www.guifengly.com
9. Jianglangshan (missing in map)
N28 31 44.4, E118 33 36
URL: www.jlsnbd.com

Surprisingly, most of these are easily accessible and close to some airport. Five components (Taining North and South, Longhushan, Guifeng, Jianglangshan) in particular can be ticked in a 3day weekend if planned properly.

Awaiting Advisory Body Evaluations [2020 - 2021]
- Quanzhou: Emporium of the World in Song-Yuan China
- Badain Jaran Desert - Towers of Sand and Lakes

Official Nomination for 2022
- The Ancient Tea Forest Cultural Landscape of Jingmai Mountain

In the pipeline
Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China [Phase II]
The Ancient Waterfront Towns in the South of Yangtze River

Upcoming Priority Candidates?

Recent reports (linked below) indicate archaeologists at Sanxingdui have made new discoveries and that construction has begun on the "Sanxingdui National Heritage Park", which includes a new museum. Additionally, based on Els and Zoe's reviews, this nomination might have full support from ICOMOS when it comes to OUV. Lastly, the Beijing Central Axis nomination seems to be making progress on formulating a nomination, at least the early stages. Recent renovation work on the Drum Tower have been completed.

- Sanxingdui Culture [full name: Archaeological Sites of the Ancient Shu State: Site at Jinsha and Joint Tombs of Boat- shaped Coffins in Chengdu City, Sichuan Province; Site of Sanxingdui in Guanghan City, Sichuan Province 29C.BC-5C.BC]

- The Central Axis of Beijing [components: Yongding Gate, Temple of Heaven, Temple of Agriculture, Tian'anmen Square complex, Imperial Ancestral Temple, Altar of the Land and Grain, the Forbidden City, Jingshan Hill, Bell Tower, Drum Tower, Nanluoguxiang, Yandai Bystreet historic area, and the Beihai water system]

@Els
https://www.worldheritagesite.org/tentative/id/5989
Could you add a second location for the Hami Basin? It's the desert southwest of the town of Hami.

I've made an attempt... or is it closer to town?

It's good. That will do until they define the boundaries for an inscription.

Key points of the work of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage in 2023: Increase efforts in cultural conservation projects

"Promote the application management of world cultural heritage. Continue to do a good job in the application of the world cultural heritage of "Puer Jingmai Mountain Ancient Tea Forest Cultural Landscape" and "Beijing Central Axis", and actively promote the "Maritime Silk Road" and other transnational application projects. Carry out the update of the "China World Cultural Heritage Preparatory List" and establish a dynamic management mechanism for the preliminary list. Improve the monitoring and inspection mechanism of world cultural heritage."

I am certainly interested in what other transnational application projects might emerge from China. Considering the potential update to China's Tentative List and what ICOMOS thinks about the Beijing Central Axis file, 2023-2024 could be a major year for China's World Heritage program.

Of China's 62 tentative nominations, 31 are more than 10 years old. Recent inscriptions and most of the current nominations are from 2013 onward, so I guess it's not a surprise that there could be an update in 2023. No word yet if this is a just a few additional nominations or a large update/clean-up. It's worth noting Beijing has not "removed" a tentative nomination since 2013 and that same year was also the largest tentative list update/clean-up during the past 10 years for China. So perhaps 2023 will also be the year of 10+ tentative nominations and perhaps some deletions?

China is working on a joint nomination with Egypt for the Nilometers and Baiheliang Hydrological Inscriptions.

thanks Zos for reporting!

Hi all,

i got this itinerary put together, but i'm not 100% happy as it's 9 (including Lushan, which i ticked, but I was never there, probably another similar Lushan mountain). I would love to have up to 11 new. One day trip from Beijing at the end could be Summer Changde. Then I have one other left but seems all is out of the way to much, so would go for 10.
Also I could fly to singapore on the 21st march, not ideal but can. Would need to fly from major city (Shanghai/Hangzou or Xiamen etc direct flight middle of day).

Anyone suggestions to finetune from experience what I might not know / see now?
(not asking you to do a lot of research). Just pointing me if something is weird on the below or not efficient.

Day 0
Tue 12 Mar
Day 1
Wed 13 Mar 10:00 OSL – FRA 12:20 connect 15:05 FRA – PVG 10:05 (+1)
Day 2
Thu 14 Mar /Yancheng Arrival Shanghai Airport 10:05 AM
Continue to Yancheng for the night (or Hangzhou and day trip from there. Longer, but less hotels).
Day 3
Fri 15 Mar /Hangzhou Migratory Birds WHS Yancheng Nature Reserve day trip then train to Hangzhou
Day 4
Sat 16 Mar /Shangrao Liangzu Archeo Site WHS day trip (mostly mornings!)
Evening train to Shangrao
Day 5
Sun 17 Mar /Shangrao Sanqing Mountain WHS day trip
Day 6
Mon 18 Mar /Shangrao East of Shangrao to China Danxia (2 locations?) WHS day trip
Day 7
Tue 19 Mar Back to Shanghai (or do I want a day off after arriving due to Jetlag meaning 20th morning to Shanghai)
Day 8
Wed 20 Mar Hangzhou/Shanghai to Singapore mid-day flight preferred
Day 8 - 14
Thu 20 Mar -
Mon 25 Mar /Singapore
Singapore Show 20-25 March WORK
Day 14
Mon 25 Mar /Xiamen 3:45 PM flight to Xiamen stay overnight
Day 15
Tue 26 Mar /Xiamen Quanzhou Old City WHS day trip by trein
Day 16
Wed 27 Mar / Tongren Fly to Tongren afternoon
Day 17
Thu 28 Mar /Tongren Fanjingshan WHS day trip
Day 18
Fri 29 Mar /Wulinyuan Via Tusi site WHS to Wulinyuan (Zhangjiajie) (car?)
Day 19
Sat 30 Mar /Wulinyuan Wulingyuan WHS day trip
Day 20
Sun 31 Mar /Wuhan Zhangjiajie Train to Wuhan
Day 21
Mon 1 Apr /Wuhan Lushan WHS day trip (seems I never did!) woops
Day 22
Tue 2 Apr /Beijing Wuhan to Beijing
Day 23
Wed 3 Apr /Plane 10:30 PEK – 17:15 FRA connect
18:15 FRA – MUC 19:10 connect
19:55 MUC – OSL 22:05
Day 24
Thu 4 Apr /Oslo? Or skip leg

IGNORE THE ABOVE (i cannot edit the post anymore). The split was terrible and would result in 9 WHS in China and 24 days. I cancelled that flight.
Now, rebooked. still 24 days but 11 sites. (of which 6 days is work, 2 days transfer for work). So 16 days for WHS hunt.

anyone has suggestions on the China part in the itinerary below? If I do Tongren to Zhangjiajie with car, it saves 1 day, so I could stilld o Chengde summer resort from Beijing resulting in 12 WHS.
others i miss are rice terrace, tea plantation, mount emei, wutai, sjennongdia, wudang, xanadu, koguryio kingdom; but adding those in the mix i guess will only result in less WHS and not efficiency.

Day 0
Sat 16 Mar /Rome airport AMS 16:55 – 19:10 FCO
Overnight transit

Day 1
Sun 17 Mar /Jeddah FCO 15:10 – 21:45 JED
Morning visit the component near rome for the Via Appio TWHS

Day 2
Mon 18 Mar /Jeddah Fly to Riyad for a visit to Turaif Quarter WHS (and probably not have lunch at the newly opened tourist spot due to ramadan)

Day 3
Tue 19 Mar /Plane Visit Jeddah WHS morning/ early afternoon
After midnight depart
--------work in singapore------
Day 10
Tue 26 Mar /Xiamen Day 1 of 15 in China
Fly SIN – XMN

Day 11
Wed 27 Mar /Xiamen Day trip to Quanzhou WHS

Day 12
Thu 28 Mar Xiamen – Guiyan morning, then train to Tongren
(there is 1 flight Xiamen to Tongren, but if missed ..... guiyan many flights and guiyan tongren many trains) 30 minute taxi ride (take 3h transit time) train stops in tongren station in city (which is good for next day)

Day 13
Fri 29 Mar Mountain Fanjingshan WHS

Day 14
Sat 30 Mar To Zhangjiajie (needs a transfer on trains); maybe opt for a car via Tuxi (can be done in a day) Tongreng – Zhangjiajie 4h drive + easy 4h for Tuxi. Expensive?

Day 15
Sun 31 Mar Mouintain Wulingyuan WHS

Day 16
Mon 1 Apr Tuxi WHS (day trip, with car seems annoying as train to wuhan is mornings)

Day 17
Tue 2 Apr Train to wuhan (morning takes 5h arrive 15:30) – business meeting

Day 18
Wed 3 Apr Lushan WHS, go by car with business partner? Otherwise day trip from Wuhan? If hotel near trainstation is fine. Also more train options for next day (as not all stop in Jiujai near Lushan)

Day 19
Thu 4 Apr To shangroa by bullet train (early morning train, visit Daxi here already? but what about luggage). Take hotel (Hilton?) at Sanqing mountain saves transfer time.

Day 20
Fri 5 Apr Mountain Sanqing WHS – then hotel in Shangrao

Day 21
Sat 6 Apr Daxi WHS 2 locations? (or 1) from Shangrao leave luggage at hotel, after train to Hangzhou. Optional here car which might be more efficient. It's 2:30 yours to Yingtan and easy to stop at the location in between. Yingtan to Hangzhou train.

Day 22
Sun 7 Apr Hanghzou site Liangzu WHS morning to Yancheng 3h train

Day 23
Mon 8 Apr Yancheng migratory birds whs to Beijing (train or fly)

Day 24
Tue 9 Apr /Home Day 15 of 15 in China
PEK 10:55 – 17:20 AMS
Train Home

I think I maxed out here the 15 days visa free. I could leave Quanzhou out even, and do Changde Summer Resort in place. Might make it more relaxed but still end up with 9 WHS.

Sounds like an intense trip! I presume you already did the Xiamen-related WHS - the tulou and Gulangyu?
Since you'll be around Wuhan, I wonder whether you could get Shennongjia & Wudang Mountains in? On a map, they all look relatively close to the Wulingyuan-Tusi-Wuhan axis. But the logistics may be an issue?

Khuft

Yes during an earlier trip. Which was before Quanzhou was inscribed (2021)


looks close, but not easy as it looks and would omit 3 others at least. Even getting from Fanjingshan to Wulingyuan will take majority of a day.
plus all these mountains one kind of needs a day for the basics.
I'm still trying to make another route work but..... at the moment I see no options.
also coming in from Singapore has not many flights to Xiamen or Wuhan at good times. To Shanghai yes, but then I would loose anyway time again as all are more far away. Ideal I would fly to Hangzhou early morning. but no flights also not from KUL or Jakarata or something (i could transfer there first) on 25th March.

anyhow; will puzzle a bit more but I think the above is the most efficient for that route and what i'm missing.

I think the ones you have left to do are spread across the country in a logistically unfortunate way.

Will do the visa free China as well, aiming for 8 WHS in 14 days:
May 14: Arrival Hangzhou by flight from AMS (ON Hangzhou)
May 15: Grand Canal WHS in Hangzhou, Liangzhu WHS (ON Hangzhou)
May 16: To Shangrao by train (2h, every half hour), China Danxia WHS along the way (Longhushan component, via fast train to Yinchang North) (ON Shangrao)
May 17: Mount Sanqinshan WHS (ON Shangrao)
May 18: spare day for China Danxia WHS if May 16 does not work out (ON Shangrao)
May 19: To Wuyishan (ON Wuyishan)
May 20: Wuyishan WHS (ON Wuyishan)
May 21: To Zhangjiajie (ON Zhangjiajie)
May 22: Wulingyuan WHS (ON Zhangjiajie)
May 23: Tusi Sites WHS (ON Zhangjiajie)
May 24: Fly to Shanghai (ON Shanghai)
May 25: Migratory Bird WHS (ON Shanghai)
May 26: buffer day (ON Shanghai)
May 27: Fly to Almaty (KZK) from Shanghai

I have the same issue as you with Tongren (for Fanjingshan). The only feasible way seems to rent car/driver. Decided to skip it for now, one holy mountain too many.