Two more Chinese natural sites were included on Friday in the World Heritage List during the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

The session was opened on July 21 in the Indian capital city of New Delhi and will last until July 31.

The two sites are named Badain Jaran Desert - Towers of Sand and Lakes, and Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of the Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China (Phase II).

The Badain Jaran Desert is located in the Alashan plateau of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and is the third largest desert and the second largest shifting desert in China.

The area is famous for its rolling high sand dunes and numerous lakes between the hills, showing the changing geological and geomorphological characteristics of the desert landscape.

The landmarks of the Badain Jaran Desert include the world's highest fixed sand dunes, with a relative height of 460 meters, the densest desert lakes, the most extensive singing sand area, and diverse wind erosion landforms, which demonstrate the important, typical and continuous development process of wind and sand landforms on the Earth.

The migratory bird sanctuaries along the coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf is located in the world's largest intertidal wetland system, providing an important habitat for migratory birds along the East Asia-Australasian flyway.

This migratory route spans across 22 countries, and is the migratory route with the richest bird diversity and the highest proportion of endangered species in the world, providing an indispensable breeding, resting and wintering ground for tens of millions of water birds.

According to UNESCO, the Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of the Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China (Phase II) is a serial extension of the property of the same name that is already listed on the World Heritage List.

The 46th session adopted five nominated sites of the migratory bird sanctuaries of phase II into the list, while phase I sanctuaries were inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2019.

The World Heritage Committee meets once a year, and consists of representatives from 21 of the States Parties to the World Heritage Convention elected by their General Assembly for a four-year term.

SHOTLIST:
New Delhi, India - July 26, 2024
1. Various of 46th session of World Heritage Committee of UNESCO in progress; inclusion of Chinese natural sites into World Heritage List being announced by official;
2. Various of Chinese, foreign delegations at meeting;
3. Various of foreign delegation members extending congratulations to Chinese delegation members;

FILE: Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, north China - Date Unknown
4. Various of sand dunes;
5. Various of lakes in desert, birds flying;
6. Aerial shots of camel caravans;

FILE: China - Exact Location and Date Unknown
7. Aerial shot of wetland;
8. Various of birds resting, foraging, flying, caring cubs;
9. Aerial shots of river, mountain;
10. Aerial shots of birds flying, resting.

[Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]