LocatedinnortheastChina,theCapitalCitiesandTombsoftheAncientKoguryoKingdom,datingfromthefirstcenturyB.C.totheseventhcenturyA.D.,comprisearchaeologicalremainsofthreecitiesand40tombs:WunuMountainCityinHuanrenManchuAutonomousCountyinLiaoningProvince,GuoneiCity,WanduMountainCity,andthe40tombsinJi鈥檃nCity,JilinProvince.
TheKoguryoKingdomwasaregionalpowerfrom37B.C.untilthekingdommoveditscapitaltoPyongyangin427.ThethreecitiesservedascapitalsofKoguryoduringtheearlyandmiddleperiodofthekingdom.WunuMountainCitywasthefirstcapitaloftheKoguryoKingdom.Surroundedbyadefensivewallwiththreegates,thecityincludedapalace,militarycamp,watchtower,housesandwarehouses.GuoneiCity,nowsurroundedbythecityofJi鈥檃n,wasbuiltontheplainwithastone-builtdefensivewallandhadseparatepalaceandresidentialzones.
WanduMountainCity,theonlyKoguryomountaincitycapitalwhosegenerallayoutwasplannedwiththelargepalaceasitscore,createdamountaincitythatperfectlycombinedtheKoguryoculturewiththenaturalenvironment.GuoneiCityandWanduMountainCityweretheeconomic,politicalandculturalcentersoftheKoguryoforhundredsofyears.Bothcitiesweredamagedinwarsandrebuiltseveraltimes,servingalternatelyasthecapital.
ThetombsofkingsandnoblesoftheancientKoguryoKingdomaredistributedintheDonggouAncientTombsAreaofWanduMountainCity.Theburialchamberswithinwereroofedwithclaytiles.Thetombsofthenobleshavestonechamberscoveredwithearthmoundsandaredecoratedwithwallpaintings,depictingscenesofdailylife,sports,hunting,nature,gods,fairies,anddragons.XINHUATIPS
Takenoteofdanger-warningsignage.
Hireaguidesoastolearnmoreaboutthecultureandhistoryofthesite.
INFO
ListedasaWorldCulturalHeritageSitein2004
Location:
AroundJi鈥檃nCity,JilinProvince,northeastChina
BestTimetoVisit:
AllyearroundYungangGrottoes
YungangGrottoesarehailedasamiracleinChineseartwithtime-honoredhistory,largescale,richcontentsandsuperbcarvings.ThewholeYungangGrottoesisdignifiedwithprominentthemes,andcanbedividedintoeast,centralandwestparts,andthenichesaredenselydistributedlikeahoneycomb.Theeastsectionfeaturespagodas;henceitsnamepagodacaves.EachgrottohousesaBuddha,andbasso-relievocoverscavewallsandroofs.Inthewestsection,smallgrottoesandnichesareinthemajority.
ThemassiveYungangBuddhistgrottoeswerecutfromthemid-fifthcenturytoearly-sixthcentury.Comprising252cavesandnichesand51,000statueswithinacarvedareaof18,000squaremeters,theYungangGrottoesrepresenttheoutstandingachievementofBuddhistcaveartinChina.TheFiveCavescreatedbyTanYaoareaclassicalmasterpieceofthefirstpeakofChineseart,withastrictunityoflayoutanddesign.ThewillofthestateisreflectedinBuddhistbeliefinChinaduringtheNorthernWeiDynasty(386-534),sincethegrottoeswerebuiltwithimperialinstructions.WhileinfluencedbyBuddhistcaveartfromSouthandCentralAsia,theYungangGrottoeshavealsointerpretedBuddhistcaveartwithdistinctiveChinesecharacteristics.Asaresult,theYungangGrottoeshaveplayedavitallyimportantroleamongearlyBuddhistgrottoesandhadafar-reachingimpactonBuddhistcaveartinChinaandEastAsia.
INFOListedasaWorldNaturalHeritageSitein2001
Location:WuzhouMountain,17kmwesttoDatongCity,ShanxiProvince
BestTimetoVisit:FromMaytoOctoberTipsDonottakephotosinthecaves.