Red-crowned Cranes resting at the Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China, Phase I | Photo from Yangcheng Broadcasting Television
Cover Red-crowned Cranes resting at the Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China, Phase I | Photo from Yangcheng Broadcasting Television

Earlier this July, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee held a meeting at the glorious walled city of Baku, Azerbaijan to select its newest heritage sites in the world. Of the 37 nominees, 29 prevailed and were named a part of the coveted list.

It’s no ordinary feat to be part of the UNESCO’s Heritage List. Each site undergoes much scrutiny and needs to possess an "outstanding universal value". In addition, these international locales should meet at least one of the 10 selection criteria: have played significance in human history, a natural phenomena or beauty, displays human creative genius, and a significant natural habitat for biodiversity, to name a few.

With Asia’s rich culture and colourful history, it’s no surprise that almost half—13 including Australia—of the new inscribed sites are located in the largest continent in world. Azerbaijan, for one, had its own historic centre of Sheki with the Khan’s palace become a part of the current 1,121 heritage sites.

A long-awaited recognition was handed to Iraq, after the ancient city of Babylon was finally regocnised as a heritage site. This once bustling empire still has a lot of its history unearthed, with only 18 per cent of the 10 sq. km having been excavated. This is one of the reasons as to why it took more than 3 decades before the United Nation’s cultural body decided to include this site on the list.

Meanwhile, recognised for their architectural beauty, South Korea’s nine neo-Confucian academies or seowon, the Jaipur City in India, and Bagan in Myanmar all also received a nod from the international body.

Other new entrees in Asia, including Australia, are: Dilmun Burial Mounds (Bahrain), Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City (China), Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohain Gulf of China, Phase I (China), Ombilin Coal Mining Heritage of Sawahlunto (Indonesia), Hyrcanian Forests (Iran), Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group: Mounded Tombs of Ancient Japan (Japan), Megalithic Jar Sites in Xiengkhuan-Plain of Jars (Laos), Budj Bim Cultural Lanscape (Australia).

Scroll through the gallery and see the magnificence of the newly inscribed UNESCO sites:

This story originally appeared in Philippine Tatler.

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'gallery right' 'gallery right'
Photo 1 of 21 Red-crowned Cranes resting at the Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China, Phase I | Photo from Yangcheng Broadcasting Television
Photo 2 of 21 Eurasian Spoonbills take a quick dip at the Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China, Phase I | Photo from Yangcheng Broadcasting Televison
Photo 3 of 21 Ingyo-tenno-ryo Kofun, one of the Mounded Tombs of Ancient Japan | Photo from Sakai City Government
Photo 4 of 21 Gobyoyama Kofun, one of the Mounded Tombs of Ancient Japan | Photo from Toshiyuki Yasuda
Photo 5 of 21 The Ishtar Gate at the ancient archaeological site of Babylon, south of the Iraqi capital Baghdad | Photo from AFP by Hussein FALEH
Photo 6 of 21 Southern Palace in Babylon | Photo from Qahtan Al-Abeed
Photo 7 of 21 Aerial View of the Archeological Ruins of Liangzhu City | Photo from Administrative District Committee of Liangzhu
Photo 8 of 21 Kone Taw Gyee of Bagan, Myanmar | Photo from the Department of Archaeology and National Museum
Photo 9 of 21 Bagan, Myanmar | Photo from the Department of Archaeology and National Museum
Photo 10 of 21 Budj Bim National Park | Photo from Wikimedia Commons
Photo 11 of 21 Lake formed in Budj Bim National Park | Photo from Wikimedia Commons
Photo 12 of 21 Dilmun Burial Mounds | Photo from Think Heritage
Photo 13 of 21 City Palace Museum at Jaipur City | Photo from AFP
Photo 14 of 21 Ombilin Coal Mining Heritage of Sawahlunto | Photo from Office of Cultural Affairs, Historical Remains and Museum (Indonesia)
Photo 15 of 21 One of the biggest jars in Site 1 of the Megalithic Jars Sites in Xieng Khuang | Photo from Department of Heritage ( Laos)
Photo 16 of 21 Plain of Jars Sites in Xieng Khuang | Photo from Wikimedia Commons ( Laos)
Photo 17 of 21 Munseonggong Myo in Sosu Seowon | Photo from Council for Promotion of the Inscription of Confucian Academies on the World Heritage List
Photo 18 of 21 Study area in Jeongyodang in Dosan Seowon | Photo from Council for Promotion of the Inscription of Confucian Academies on the World Heritage List
Photo 19 of 21 Beech Forest, Mazandaran - Part of the Hyrcanian Forests in Iran | Photo from Fariba Babaei
Photo 20 of 21 A look at the second floor hall of Shekikhanov's house – Historic Centre of Sheki with the Khan’s Palace | Photo from Azerberpa
Photo 21 of 21 Historic Centre of Sheki with the Khan's Palace: Upper caravanserai | Photo from Azerberpa