Heritage with Related Tags
Sacred Mijikenda Kaya Forests
The Mijikenda Kaya Forest consists of 10 separate forest sites, spread over approximately 200 km of the coast, and contains the remains of numerous fortified villages of the Mijikenda people, known as kayas. Originally built in the 16th century but abandoned in the 1940s, the kayas are now considered ancestral dwellings and revered as sacred places, and are therefore maintained by a committee of elders. The site is inscribed as a unique testimony to the cultural tradition and is directly linked to its living traditions.
Historic Villages of Korea: Hahoe and Yangdong
Hahoe and Yangdong, founded in the 14th and 15th centuries, are two of Korea’s most iconic historical clan villages. Their layout and location—set against forested hills and facing rivers and open farmland—reflect the unique aristocratic Confucian culture of the early Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). The villages were sited to draw physical and spiritual nourishment from the surrounding landscape. They include clan residences, as well as large wooden houses for members of other clans, pavilions, study halls, Confucian academies, and clusters of mud-walled, thatched-roof single-story houses that were previously built for commoners. The views from the pavilions and resting places offer a breathtaking view of the mountains, trees, and water surrounding the villages, whose beauty was praised by poets in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Nuanquan Ancient Town
Nuanquan Ancient Town is located at the westernmost end of Wei County, Hebei Province, 12 kilometers east of Wei County and bordering Guangling County, Shanxi Province to the west. The town has 16 administrative villages and covers an area of 57.3 square kilometers. It is a northern ancient town derived from the integration of nomadic culture and farming culture. In August 2003, Nuanquan Ancient Town was awarded the title of "Hometown of Ancient Folk Culture" by the Hebei Federation of Literary and Art Circles and the Provincial Federation of Folk Culture. In November 2005, it was selected and announced as the second batch of "Famous Historical and Cultural Towns in China" by the Ministry of Construction and the State Administration of Cultural Heritage. In 2011, it was rated as a national characteristic landscape tourism town and is now a national AAA-level scenic spot.