UNESCO Adds Bagan-Jaipur-Sawahlunto to World Heritage List: These sites are recognized for their outstanding cultural and historical significance. Bagan’s ancient temples, Jaipur’s architectural splendor, and Sawahlunto mining heritage showcase the diverse heritage now preserved for future generations.
UNESCO Adds Bagan-Jaipur-Sawahlunto to World Heritage List
It’s time to update your wish list: There are now 29 more places for you to include on your trip itinerary after Unesco announced fresh additions to its World Heritage list last week. The United Nations has 1,121 landmarks worldwide as part of its ever-expanding list. To receive the honor, each site must fulfill at least one of ten requirements, such as being a work of human creative genius or an area of extraordinary natural beauty.
This year’s new additions span epochs and countries, from the ancient Dilmun burial mounds in Bahrain to the University of Manchester’s Jodrell Bank Observatory, from iron constructions from the seventh century BC in Burkina Faso to the 20th-century architecture of American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Are you wondering which Asian websites made the cut this year? Continue reading to learn more.
Jaipur City, India
Founded in 1727, India’s Pink City has dazzled tourists with its rosy sandstone facades. This year, the city’s urban design and the blend of Hindu, Mughal, and Western architecture captivated the Unesco committee. The city is now an important stop on India’s Golden Triangle tour, which also includes Delhi and Agra. Amber Fort, the City Palace—the home of the maharajah’s family—and the Hawa Mahal, often known as the Palace of Wind, are notable landmarks. See contemporary artwork by international artists and expansive city vistas by visiting the sculpture park at Madhavendra Palace. Jaipur’s inclusion raises the profile of Rajasthan, already rich in Unesco World Heritage sites – namely the hill forts of Rajasthan, comprising six historic forts across the state; and the Jantar Mantar, an astrological observation site dating back to the early 18th century. Getting to Jaipur requires just a short flight from Delhi.
The Plain of Jars, Laos
The megalithic jar sites in the Xiangkhouang province in northeastern Laos definitely meet the third requirement set out by Unesco: “to bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilisation which is living or which has disappeared.” The 2,100 stone jars strewn across a plateau date back to the Iron Age, roughly 2,500 years ago, when people probably used them in prehistoric burial rituals. Despite its remote location, Vientiane, the capital, has flights to the nearby town of Phonsavan. Traveling north will lead you to another World Heritage site, the town of Luang Prabang, which combines breathtaking views of the mountains, French colonial architecture, and stunning temples.
Bagan, Myanmar
Bagan, located in central Myanmar on the banks of the Ayeyarwady River, offers an impressive assortment of historic Buddhist temples, rivaling the atmospheric beauty of Angkor Wat in Cambodia. In the ninth and thirteenth centuries, during the town’s peak, people constructed over 10,000 temples; now, over 2,000 of them stand tall above a verdant canopy of trees. The ideal way to see the golden temples from above is to take a beautiful morning hot-air balloon flight. However, you will need to travel to Yangon by plane (not by balloon) before continuing on to Bagan. Those with more time on their hands can plan to travel further north to the historic Pyu cities. The discovery of massive Buddhist stupas, temples, and palaces beneath the excavated remnants of Halin, Beikthano, and Sri Ksetra led to their addition to the World Heritage list in 2014.
Seowon, Korean Neo-Confucian Academies, South Korea
This year, UNESCO collectively inducted nine seowon—academies established on Confucian principles throughout the Joseon dynasty from the 15th through the 19th centuries—scattered over central and southern South Korea. The group of pavilions functioned as publishing businesses, classrooms, shrines, and libraries. Each seowon is situated amidst mountains, lakes, or rivers and designed to promote a closer bond with nature, making it easy to understand why they influenced the seonbi (intellectuals). While seeing them all in one trip is unfeasible, many of the seowon in the provinces of North Gyeongsang, South Gyeongsang, Daegu, South Jeolla, North Jeolla, and South Chungcheong are easily accessible via the high-speed train network extending from Seoul.
Mozu-Furuichi Tombs, Japan
Despite having 17 World Heritage sites, Kyoto’s neighboring prefecture of Osaka is adding its first item to the list this year. The Mozu-Furuichi tombs are conveniently located in Sakai, a short distance south of Osaka, for those who appreciate historical sites. Japan contains many kofun (burial mounds)—more than 160,000 discovered—but this particular group of 49 megalithic tombs holds the elite’s remains. Constructed from keyhole-shaped earth mounds, these tombs date from the fourth to the sixth century. One of the biggest burial mounds in the world is the enormous 486-meter-long mausoleum of Emperor Nintoku.
Ruins of Liangzhu City, China
Researchers have pieced together fascinating data from a town that dates back to 3300-2300 BC at the ruins of the ancient city of Liangzhu. Examining the layouts of early civilisations provides an insight into cultures and hierarchies that existed millennia ago. The extensive system of dams, reservoirs, and levees, for example, suggests highly developed infrastructure to combat the serious threat of flooding. Similarly, the disparity in burial customs, where richer graves contain ivory, jade, and silk, and poorer graves have simple pottery, suggests deeply ingrained class disparities. The remains are located outside of Hangzhou, an eastern Chinese city known for its renowned West Lake, another World Heritage site.
Migratory Bird Sanctuaries, China
These bird sanctuaries along the Yellow Sea and Bohai Gulf coast in the north were chosen for their significance as a habitat for biodiversity conservation. They serve as a hub for transiting birds, including some of the most endangered species in the world. The survival of 17 internationally vulnerable migratory species, such as the spoon-billed sandpiper and the far eastern curlew, depends on the mudflats in the area. The area could be more preserved and awareness of their condition increased as a result of the World Heritage status.
Ombilin Coal Mine, Indonesia
Sawahlunto, a Dutch colonial mining town in West Sumatra that dates back to the late 1800s, is the youngest Asian entry on the list. Many of the tunnels, dorms, and other infrastructure related to the mining sector have been preserved even though the industry was shut down in the 1990s. Discover everything there is to know about it at the Goedang Ransoem Museum, a converted miners’ kitchen; the Ombilin Coal Mining Museum; and the Train Museum. The Santa Barbara Church, constructed by the Dutch in the 1920s, is one of the several structures that hark back to the city’s golden age. Fly to Jakarta and make a connection at Minangkabau International Airport in West Sumatra to reach Sawahlunto.
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