MONGOLS CHINA AND THE SILK ROAD : Xanadu added to UNESCO's World Heritage List

Sunday, 1 July 2012

Xanadu added to UNESCO's World Heritage List

The Site of Xanadu (China), the Bassari Country: Bassari and Bedik Cultural Landscapes (Senegal) and the Historic Town Grand Bassam, the first capital of Côte d’Ivoire have been added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

North of the Great Wall, the Site of Xanadu encompasses the remains of Kublai Khan’s legendary capital city, designed by the Mongol ruler’s Chinese advisor Liu Bingzhdong in 1256. Over a surface area of 25,000 hectares, the site exhibits a unique attempt to assimilate the nomadic Mongolian and Han Chinese cultures. This was the base from where Kublai Khan established the Yuan Dynasty that ruled over China over a century, extending its boundaries across Asia. The religious debate that took place here resulted in the dissemination of Tibetan Buddhism over northeast Asia, a cultural and religious tradition still practiced in many areas today. The site was planned according to the traditional Chinese feng shui in relation to the nearby mountains and river. It features the remains of the city, including temples, palaces, tombs, nomadic encampments and the Tiefan’gang Canal along with other water works.

Brief Description

North of the Great Wall, the Site of Xanadu encompasses the remains of Kublai Khan’s legendary capital city, designed by the Mongol ruler’s Chinese advisor Liu Bingzhdong in 1256. Over a surface area of 25,000 hectares, the site exhibits a unique attempt to assimilate the nomadic Mongolian and Han Chinese cultures. This was the base from where Kublai Khan established the Yuan Dynasty that ruled over China over a century, extending its boundaries across Asia. The religious debate that took place here resulted in the dissemination of Tibetan Buddhism over northeast Asia, a cultural and religious tradition still practiced in many areas today. The site was planned according to the traditional Chinese feng shui in relation to the nearby mountains and river. It features the remains of the city, including temples, palaces, tombs, nomadic encampments and the Tiefan’gang Canal along with other water works.

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The western part of the city wall of the Palace City © Zhenglan Qi Administration of Cultural Heritage of the site of Xanadu City, Xilingol Meng, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region

Sunday, 1 July 2012

Xanadu added to UNESCO's World Heritage List

Brief Description

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