Suoyang city added to World Heritage list

UNESCO's 38th World Heritage Committee, held in Doha on June 22, examined and approved China’s application for the Grand Canal and China, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan’s joint application for Silk Road-related sites. Suoyang city in Guazhou county, in Northwest China’s Gansu province, was also added to the World Heritage list.

China now boasts 47 world heritage sites, the second highest out of any country. The Silk Road cultural heritage sites extend 5,000 km across country borders. There are 33 sites total, but each falls into one of five categories: ruins of capital cities, traders’ settlements, ancient roadways, religious buildings and other related historic sites.

Of the 33 sites, 22 are located within China, five of which are in Hexi Corridor, Gansu province: Bingling Temple Grottoes, Xuanquanzhi Ruins, the Suoyang city historic site, Mogao Grottoes and Yumen Pass. Li Hongwei, director of Guazhou county’s cultural relics bureau, said that Suoyang city’s success stems from its outstanding examples of ancient Chinese architecture.

The city demonstrates a profound period in the Silk Road’s history. The site is a unique historical testimony to Silk Road civilization, and its inclusion on the World Heritage list gives Guazhou the opportunity to promote itself on the world stage.

Li also added that the site’s inclusion is also a key factor for Guazhou’s integration into Gansu’s Chinese Civilization Inheritance and Innovation Zone.

Edited by Noelle Mateer and Le Qin