World Heritage sites are selected carefully by United Nations via some strict procedures. It roughly belongs to human on the earth, rather than the local people of the territory. World Heritage is the masterpieces of human ancestors, which deepen our understanding on the world and human as well as the interaction between nature and human.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) seeks to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity. This is embodied in an international treaty called the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. UNESCO's World Heritage mission is to: encourage countries to sign the World Heritage Convention and to ensure the protection of their natural and cultural heritage; encourage States Parties to the Convention to nominate sites within their national territory for inclusion on the World Heritage List; encourage States Parties to establish management plans and set up reporting systems on the state of conservation of their World Heritage sites; help States Parties safeguard World Heritage properties by providing technical assistance and professional training; provide emergency assistance for World Heritage sites in immediate danger; support States Parties' public awareness-building activities for World Heritage conservation; encourage participation of the local population in the preservation of their cultural and natural heritage; encourage international cooperation in the conservation of our world's cultural and natural heritage.
Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage was organized by UNESCO and officially agreed on the 17th United Nations Congress on December 11, 1972. In 1976, the World Heritage Committee was founded and published the List of World Heritage. China participated into this international organization in 1985. In 1999, China became the member of World Heritage Committee. China began to apply for items of world heritage in 1986. From 1987 to 2009, there were 38 sites wirtten into the List of World Heritage in China. 27 are cultural heritage sites, 7 are natural sites and 4 cultural and natural sites. Besides, there are also four intangible cultural heritages in the world. China is ranked to be the third place in world-heritage-site possession. The sites listed into the List of World Heritage will be the international places of interest, and they also will be assisted by the World Heritage Fund. It also could be the tourism destination for world tour.
Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area (1992) Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area (1992) Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area (1992)
Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas (2003)
Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries (2006) South China Karst (2007)