They include the Dolomites in Italy, the ruins of Loropeni in Burkina Faso and the sacred city of Cara-Supe in Peru.
Chosen by a committee of the United Nations' Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, World Heritage sites, recommended by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), are natural and cultural areas recognized for their universal value to humanity. The selection process involves extensive field work by conservation experts who have, in most cases, dedicated their lives to studying the natural world.
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China's Mount Wutai, a five-peaked Buddhist mountain, joins this year's list. Its landscape of Buddist architecture features 53 monasteries, including the east main hall of Foguang Temple and its life-size clay sculptures. The Ming Dynasty Shuxiang Temple, with 500 statues representing Buddhist stories, is also found here. Mount Wutai is northern China's highest mountain and is unique for its by steep sides and five, open treeless peaks. Temples have been built on the site as early as the 1st century and as recently as the early 20th century.
The royal tombs of the Joseon Dynasty in South Korea, a collection of 40 tombs over 18 locations, was also added as a Worle Heritage Site this year. The tombs, built from 1408 to 1966, are thought to protect ancestral spirits from evil. All face south, toward water, and are protected in the rear by a hill. Structures on the grounds include a T-shaped wooden shrine, royal kitchen and guards' and tombkeepers' homes.
Spain's Tower of Hercules earned a spot on this year's list for its lighthouse and landmark at the entrance of La Coruña harbour in northwestern Spain. The tower was built in the late 1st century A.D. on a nearly 200-foot-tall rock; its 180-foot height comprises three graduated levels. The site also includes a sculpture park, the Monte dos Bicos rock carvings from the Iron Age and a Muslim cemetery.
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Image: The Wadden Sea
