The 2 World Heritage Sites listed by the

UNESCO in Cambodia
Angkor
Angkor is a major Southeast Asian archaeological site. It is composed of the remains of
the capital of the Khmer Empire, dating from the 9th to the 15th century. The Angkor
site especially includes the famous temple of Angkor Wat, the Bayon Temple at Angkor
Thom, and the jungle-invaded Ta Phrom temple.

Angkor Wat

© Photo: jh_tan84
Bayon temple

© Photo: colin grubbs

Ta Prohm temple
 © Photo: David Hogan

 Location: Siem Reap Province, Cambodia

 Site type: cultural
 Size: 40,000 ha
 Year of inscription: 1992

Note: Google created a special website as a part of its Google Maps “Street View” to
enable people to explore the Angkor temples at home on their computers.

Temple of Preah Vihear

© Photo: Osakabe Yasuo

The temple of Preah Vihear is composed of series of sanctuaries dedicated to the Hindu
god Shiva. Its isolation has permitted to preserve its exceptional architecture from the
11th century.

 Location: Preah Vihear Province, Cambodia

 Site type: cultural
 Size: 155 ha with 2,643 ha buffer zone
 Year of inscription: 2008
 The 8 World Heritage Sites listed by the
UNESCO in Indonesia
The UNESCO has classified eight sites in Indonesia as World Heritage Sites:

 Borobudur Temple Compounds

 Komodo National Park
 Prambanan Temple Compounds
 Ujung Kulon National Park
 Sangiran Early Man Site
 Lorentz National Park
 Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra
 Cultural Landscape of Bali Province: the Subak System as a Manifestation of the Tri
Hita Karana Philosophy

Borobudur Temple Compounds

© Photo: regent zakaryya satriandhana

The Borobudur temple is a large Buddhist temple from the 8th and 9th centuries.
Situated in central Java, it is famous for its pyramidal shape and numerous stupas
arranged in concentric circles, surrounded by finely carved outer walls with
numerous statues of Buddha.

 Location: Megalang Regency, Central Java, Indonesia

 Site type: cultural
 Year of inscription: 1991

Komodo National Park

 © Photo: Richard Susanto
The Komodo National Park is a natural site made up of volcanic islands that are home
to a unique species of giant lizard: the Komodo dragon. The natural landscape
and vegetation of the islands add up the zoological interest of this endemic species.

 Location: East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia

 Site type: natural
 Size: 219,322 ha
 Year of inscription: 1991

Prambanan Temple Compounds

© Photo: zsoolt
 The Prambanan temple is a large hindu temple built in the 10th century in central Java.
The three main temples in the center of the complex are dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu and
Brahma, and decorated with depictions of the Ramayana.

 Location: Central Java, Indonesia

 Site type: cultural
 Year of inscription: 1991

Ujung Kulon National Park

© Photo: Tom Pfeiffer

Located at the South-Western tip of Java, this beautiful natural site is one of the last
shelters for several endangered animal species. Composed of the Ujung Kulon
peninsula and surrounding islands, it is home to the famous Krakatoa volcano.

 Location: Banten and Lampung, Indonesia

 Site type: natural
 Size: 78,525 ha
 Year of inscription: 1991
 Sangiran Early Man Site

© Photo: NCSSM
The Sangiran site is the source of half of all hominids fossils found. Inhabited for one
and half million years, its importance to the knowledge of the evolution of man make it a
unique place for scientific interest.

 Location: Central Java, Indonesia

 Site type: cultural
 Size: 5,600 ha
 Year of inscription: 1996

Lorentz National Park

© Photo: Michael Thirnbeck

Located in the Papua province, the Lorentz National Park is Southeast Asia’s largest
protected natural area. With a great diversity of geography, fauna and flora, the Lorentz
national park is a haven for biodiversity.

 Location: Papua, Indonesia

 Site type: natural
 Size: 2,350,000 ha
 Year of inscription: 1
Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra
Empcompassing three national parks, Gunung Leuser National Park, Kerinci Seblat
National Park and Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park, the Tropical Rainforest Heritage
of Sumatra is an endangered site of primary forest and endemic species under threat of
destruction.

Gunung Leuser National Park

© Photo: Arddu
Kerinci Seblat National Park

© Photo: Arddu
 Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park

© Photo: Sue Everett

 Location: Sumatra, Indonesia

 Site type: natural. This site has been listed as endangered since 2011 due to
poaching, illegal logging and encroachments for agriculture and roads projects.
 Size: 2,595,124 ha
 Year of inscription: 2004

Cultural Landscape of Bali Province: the Subak System as

a Manifestation of the Tri Hita Karana Philosophy
Composed of five rice terraces, water temples including the famous Pura Ulun Danu
Batan temple and canals, the egalitarian Subak water management system originates
from the 9th century. Proving very effective for rice farming, this water system is the
manifestation of the philosophical concept of Tri Hita Karana, that assembles the world
of men, spirits and nature.

Jatiluwih Rice Terraces

© Photo: Sivakumar Ramakrishnan

 Pura Ulun Danu Batan temple in Bedugul

© Photo: balbo42

 Location: Bali, Indonesia

 Site type: cultural
 Size: 19,520 ha
 Year of inscription: 2012

2 World Heritage Sites in Laos

The UNESCO has classified two sites in Laos as World Heritage Sites:

 Town of Luang Prabang

 Vat Phou and Associated Ancient Settlements within the Champasak Cultural
Landscape

Town of Luang Prabang

 © Photo: Benedikt Saxler
The ancient capital of the old Kingdom of Laos, Luang Prabang is a town that gathers
traditional Lao architecture and French colonial buildings from the 19th and 20th century
in a remarkably well-preserved blend of European and Asian cultures.

 Location: Luang Prabang Province, Laos

 Site type: cultural
 Year of inscription: 1995

Vat Phou and Associated Ancient Settlements within the

Champasak Cultural Landscape

© Photo: Alessandra
The Champasak Cultural Landscape was built between the 5th and 15th century under
the rule of the Khmer Empire. Various structures are organized in a geometric pattern
that embodies the Hindu vision and relationship between man and nature, including two
cities, the Vat Phou temple complex and other temples, shrines and waterworks.

 Location: Champasak Province, Laos

 Site type: cultural
 Size: 39,000 ha
 Year of inscription: 2001
 4 World Heritage Sites in Malaysia
The UNESCO has classified four sites in Malaysia as World Heritage Sites:

 Gunung Mulu National Park

 Kinabalu Park
 Melaka and George Town, Historic Cities of the Straits of Malacca
 Archaeological Heritage of the Lenggong Valley

Gunung Mulu National Park

© Photo: Paul White

With a very rich biodiversity, the Gunung Mulu National Park is located on the island of
Borneo. The park is especially famous for its karstic features, and the resulting caves
created by the dissolution of rocks in the humid climate.

 Location: Northern Sarawak, Borneo, Malaysia

 Site type: natural
 Size: 52,864 ha
 Year of inscription: 2000

Kinabalu Park
 © Photo: jon jacob
Mount Kinabalu is the highest mountain of Southeast Asia, reaching 4,095 meters at its
highest point. The surrounding park is host to a beautiful natural landscape with diverse
range of habitats and a very rich flora.

 Location: Sabah, Borneo, Malaysia

 Site type: natural
 Size: 75,370 ha
 Year of inscription: 2000

Melaka and George Town, Historic Cities of the Straits of

Malacca
Developed in the past centuries as points of exchange between Western and Eastern
civilizations, the historic cities of Malacca and Georgetown are beautiful remnants of
multicultural heritage on the Straits of Malacca.

Malacca

© Photo: Stefan Klauke

Georgetown

© Photo: Fredrik Nyberg

 Location: Malacca and Penang, Malay Peninsula, Malaysia

 Site type: cultural
 Size: 148 ha with 284 ha buffer zone
 Year of inscription: 2008

In Malacca, as in many other places in Malaysia and Southeast Asia, the preservation
of heritage sites needs to be integrated with modern life for the local communities and
the interests of tourists. To learn more on how value is added to heritage sites, watch
this video on how heritage is maintained and recycled in Malacca and Malaysia.

Archaeological Heritage of the Lenggong Valley

© Photo: eazytraveler
The Lenggong Valley regroups four archaeological sites with remains from the earliest
continued human settlement outside of Africa. This lush area with several caves
provides scientific clues on the Palaeolithic, Neolithic and Metal ages.

 Location: Perak, Malaysia

 Site type: cultural
 Size: 399 ha
 Year of inscription: 2012

The World Heritage Site listed by the

UNESCO in Myanmar
Pyu Ancient Cities
 © Photo: caz.vandevere
In the Irrawady basin, the three ancient cities of Halin, Beikthano and Sri Ksetra are
remains of the Pyu kingdoms that spanned eleven centuries from 200 BC to 900 AD.
With various ruins from royal, religious and production buildings and remnants of an
irrigation system, they exhibit a rich Buddhist culture.

 Location: Mandalay, Magway and Bago, Myanmar

 Site type: cultural
 Year of inscription: 2014

6 World Heritage Sites in the Philippines

The UNESCO has classified six sites in the Philippines as World Heritage Sites:

 Baroque Churches of the Philippines

 Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park
 Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras
 Historic Town of Vigan
 Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River National Park
 Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary

Baroque Churches of the Philippines

The four baroque Roman Catholic Churches were constructed under in the Philippines
Spanish rule between the 16th and 18th century. These churches were built in Manila,
Santa Maria, Paoay and Miag-ao but they collectively demonstrate a reinterpretation by
Chinese and Filipino craftsmen of European Baroque architecture and decoration.

Church of the Immaculate Conception of San Agustín, Intramuros, Manila

© Photo: Rafael Reyes

Church of Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion, Santa Maria

© Photo: Remar Lapastora

Church of Santo Tomas de Villanueva, Miag-ao

© Photo: interruptedz
Church of San Agustín, Paoay

© Photo: Ferdinand Manuel

 Location:
 Manila, Philippines
 Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur, Philippines
 Miag-ao, Iloilo, Philippines
 Paoay, Ilocos Norte, Philippines
 Site type: cultural
 Year of inscription: 1993

Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park

© Photo: q phia
The atoll reef of Tubbataha is a pristine coral reef hosting a very dense and varied
marine wildlife. The Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park covers more than 130,000 ha and
includes two coral islands, several lagoons and an extensive coral reefs with a 100m
perpendicular wall.

 Location: Cagayancillo, Palawan, Philippines

 Site type: natural
 Size: 130,028 ha
 Year of inscription: 1993

Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras

 © Photo: laz’andre
The terraced rice fields of Ifugao have been formed out of the mountain slopes for more
than 2,000 years. This agricultural tradition has created an exceptional landscape, fruit
of the harmonious human integration into its natural habitat.

 Location: Ifugao, Cordillera Region, Philippines

 Site type: cultural
 Year of inscription: 1995

Historic Town of Vigan

© Photo: Kenneth Paige

The town of Vigan is the archetype of Spanish colonial urban planing and architecture in
the Philippines. Founded in the 16th century, the Historic Town of Vigan hosts many of
well preserved European-style buildings, making it an unequaled cultural jewel in
Southeast Asia.

 Location: Ilocos Sur, Philippines

 Site type: cultural
 Year of inscription: 1999

Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River National Park

© Photo: ryan descallar

The Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River National Park is composed of a karstic
landscape, with the particularity of having a underground river flowing under the
limestone reliefs. It is a significant natural preservation site, with a “mountain-to-sea”
ecosystem and dense forests with rich biodiversity.
 Location: Palawan, Philippines
 Site type: natural
 Size: 5,753 ha
 Year of inscription: 1999

Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary

© Photo: Peter Harlow

Ranging from 75 to 1,637m above sea level, the Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife
Sanctuary hosts several land and water eco-systems of different elevations. The
sanctuary provides habitat for a diverse array of fauna and flora, including several
endangered endemic plant and animal species.

 Location: Davao Oriental, Philippines

 Site type: natural
 Year of inscription: 2014

1 World Heritage Site in Singapore

 The UNESCO has classified one site in Singapore as a World Heritage Site:
Singapore Botanic Gardens.

The World Heritage Site listed by the UNESCO

in SingaporeSingapore Botanic Gardens
 © Photo: Jonathan Garcia
The Singapore Botanic Gardens is a European-style botanic garden of tropical plants,
created under British rule in 1859. Since then, it has been a landmark for the
Singaporean history and culture, with a significant importance for conservation, science
and education.

 Location: Singapore
 Site type: cultural
 Size: 49 ha, buffer zone: 137 ha
 Year of inscription: 2015

5 World Heritage Sites in Thailand

The UNESCO has classified five sites in Thailand as World Heritage Sites:

 Historic City of Ayutthaya

 Historic Town of Sukhothai and Associated Historic Towns
 Thungyai-Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuaries
 Ban Chiang Archaeological Site
 Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex

Historic City of Ayutthaya

© Photo: Oliver Davis

Ayutthaya was the capital of the Kingdom of Siam from the mid 14th century until its
destruction by the Burmese in the 18th century. The numerous remains of large
religious and administrative buildings are as many clues to imagine how splendid the
city must have been.

 Location: Ayutthaya Province, Thailand

 Site type: cultural
 Size: 289 ha
 Year of inscription: 1991
 Historic Town of Sukhothai and Associated Historic Towns

© Photo: Takashi Mizoguchi

Sukhothai was the first capital of the Kingdom of Siam, in the 13th and 14th centuries.
The remaining monuments present how various influences and traditions were
assimilated in the “Sukhothai style” by the Siamese people to create a distinct culture.

 Location: Sukhothai and Kamphaeng Phet Provinces, Thailand

 Site type: cultural
 Size: 11,852 ha
 Year of inscription: 1991

Thungyai-Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuaries

© Photo: tontantravel
The Thungyai-Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuaries encompass almost all kinds of
forests from Southeast Asia. With more than 600,000 ha situated on the border with
Myanmar, the wildlife sanctuaries are home to a vast array of fauna, including several
endangered species.

 Location: Kanchanaburi, Tak and Uthai Thani Provinces, Thailand

 Site type: natural
 Size: 622,200 ha
 Year of inscription: 1991

Ban Chiang Archaeological Site

© Photo: Brian Hoffman

One of the most important prehistoric settlement, Ban Chiang gathers evidence of
human evolution in Southeast Asia. With artifacts, human and building remains, it
displays on of the earliest use of metals and agriculture in the region.

 Location: Udon Thani Province, Thailand

 Site type: cultural
 Size: 64 ha
 Year of inscription: 1992

Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex

© Photo: tontantravel
The Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex is a large, protected tropical forest
located on the border with Cambodia. Especially important for the preservation of
fauna, it is key to the long-term survival of several endangered animal species.

 Location: Saraburi, Nakhon Ratchasima, Nakhon Nayok, Prachinburi, Sa Kaeo and

Buriram Provinces, Thailand
 Site type: natural
 Size: 615,000 ha
 Year of inscription: 2005

8 World Heritage Sites in Vietnam

The UNESCO has classified eight sites in Vietnam as World Heritage Sites:

 Complex of Hué Monuments

 Ha Long Bay
 Hoi An Ancient Town
 My Son Sanctuary
 Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park
 Central Sector of the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long – Hanoi
 Citadel of the Ho Dynasty
 Trang An Landscape Complex

Complex of Hué Monuments

© Photo: Loboalpha
Hué was the capital unified Vietnam from 1802 to 1945, center of political, cultural and
religious influence of the Nguyen dynasty. With several buildings remaining along the
Perfume River of the old Capital City, the Imperial City, the Forbidden Purple City and
the Inner City, Hué is the landmark of the imperial Vietnamese history, arts and
architecture.

 Location: Thừa Thiên–Huế Province, Vietnam

 Site type: cultural
 Year of inscription: 1993
 Ha Long Bay

© Photo: Horace Cimafranca

Gathering more than 1,600 limestone islets in the Gulf of Tonkin, Ha Long Bay is an
iconic seascape of verticals cliffs and jungle spread across the sea. The site’s beauty is
famous around the world, and it is also a haven for biodiversity.

 Location: Quảng Ninh Province, Vietnam

 Site type: natural
 Size: 150,000 ha
 Year of inscription: 1994

Hoi An Ancient Town

© Photo: J Durok
The commercial activity of the port of Hoi An made it an important trade center from the
15th to the 19th century. Local and foreign traders have left their marks with numerous
buildings that make up an exceptionally well-preserved ancient town with diverse
influences.

 Location: Hội An, Quảng Nam Province, Vietnam

 Site type: cultural
 Size: 30 ha with 280 ha buffer zone
 Year of inscription: 1999
 My Son Sanctuary

© Photo: James Tan

Developed from the 4th to 13th century, the My Son Sanctuary regroups the remains of
several temples. This site used to be the political and religious capital of the Champa
Kingdom, which was located on the coast of Vietnam and traced its cultural heritage
from Indian Hinduism.

 Location: Duy Phú, Duy Xuyên District, Quảng Nam Province, Vietnam
 Site type: cultural
 Size: 142 ha with 920 ha buffer zone
 Year of inscription: 1999

Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park

© Photo: lien
The Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park is the oldest karst formation in Southeast Asia.
With 65 km of caves and underground river, the park hosts a very complex karst
landscape with significant geomorphic features.

 Location: Bố Trạch and Minh Hóa districts, Quảng Bình Province, Vietnam
 Site type: natural
 Size: 85,754 ha
 Year of inscription: 2003
 Central Sector of the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long –
Hanoi

© Photo: Eugene
When the Dai Viet kingdom got its independance from China under the Ly dynasty, it
built the Thang Long Imperial Citadel which remained its political center for 13
centuries. The central sector of the Citadel embodies a unique culture from the Red
River area, influenced from the North by China and from the Champa kingdom in the
South.

 Location: Hanoi, Vietnam

 Site type: cultural
 Size: 18 ha with 108 ha buffer zone
 Year of inscription: 2010

Citadel of the Ho Dynasty

© Photo: Loi Nguyen Duc

The Citadel of the Ho Dynasty dates back to the 14th century. Reflecting the spread of
Neo-Confucianism in that period, it was built according to the Feng Shui principles in a
plain between the Ma and Buoi rivers along an axis between the Tuong Son and Don
Son mountains.

 Location: Tây Giai, Vĩnh Lộc District, Thanh Hóa Province, Vietnam
 Site type: cultural
 Size: 156 ha with 5,079 ha buffer zone
 Year of inscription: 2011

Trang An Landscape Complex

© Photo: Đỗ Việt Cường

Situated in the south of the Red River delta, the Trang An Landscape Complex is a
breathtaking area of karst limestone peaks piercing out of low cultivated valleys. Area of
cultural significance as it has inhabited for more than 30,000 years, human traces in
Trang An provide significant information on the Neolotic, Bronze Age, up to the historic
era. It is also the site of Hao Lu, ancient capital of Vietnam from the 10th and 11th
centuries.

 Location: Ninh Binh Province, Vietnam

 Site type: mixed, natural and cultural
 Year of inscription: 2014