29 sites nominated for UNESCO World Heritage - two from China

Photo taken on Oct 22, 2015 shows the autumn scenery in the Shennongjia Dajiu Lake National Wetland Park, Central China's Hubei province.[Photo/Xinhua]

The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), headquartered in Paris, announced that 29 sites are on the nomination list of World Heritages this year, including China’s natural heritage Shennongjia Forestry District in Hubei province and cultural heritage Huashan rock painting along Zuo River in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

Shennongjia Forestry District is named after the mythical legendary Chinese emperor Shennong and "jia" literally means ladder. The district has some of Hubei’s highest mountains. There are also a number of conservation areas in particular Shennongjia National Nature Reserve, listed on UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves.

Huashan rock painting along Zuo River is the only well-preserved rock painting that has the most colorful styles in China. Located in the west of Ningming County, it has a history of around 2000 years. Its origin can be traced back to the Spring –Autumn and Warring States Period, passed down by the Zhuang minority group.

The World Heritage Committee under the UNESO is set to review the nomination of 29 new sites during its 40th session slated for July 10-20 in Istanbul. According to the UNESCO, Nabi Avci, Turkey's minister of culture and tourism will hold the session. In addition, 106 sites already on the World Heritage List and 48 sites on the List of World Heritage in Danger will be subjected to the examination of the committee under the UNESCO.

In 1972, the UNESCO issued “The Treaty of Protecting World Cultural and Natural Heritages”, setting regulations on the definition and protection of cultural and natural heritages. The first World Heritage Meeting was held in Paris in 1977, which has been a regular session held every year by the World Heritage Committee under the UNESCO. Its main duties include the checking and approving of new sites into the World Heritage List as well as supervising the preservation of listed world sites.