Xanadu added to UNESCO's World Heritage List

ST. PETERSBURG - Xanadu, a site in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, has joined the World Heritage List.

The inscription was approved during the 36th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in St. Petersburg on Friday.

So far, there have been 42 properties, including 30 cultural ones, in China included on the list.

Tong Mingkang, vice-director of the Chinese State Bureau of Cultural Relics, and other Chinese officials applauded the decision.

Tong attributed the inscription to the cultural value of the site and the local government and people's efforts to protect the ancient property.

Xanadu encompasses the remains of Kublai Khan's capital city established in 1256. It was the base from where Kublai Khan established the Yuan Dynasty(1271-1368) that ruled China for over a century and extended its boundaries across Asia.

The site features the remains of the city, including temples, palaces, tombs, nomadic encampments and some water works.