UNESCO adds Xixia Imperial Tombs to the World Heritage List

The Xixia Imperial Tombs was inscribed on the World Heritage List during the 47th Session of the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO in Paris, becoming China's 60th World Heritage site.

Under the jurisdiction of Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui autonomous region in northwestern China, the tombs is a group of imperial burial sites from the Xixia Dynasty (1038-1227), by the Tangut people between the 11th and 13th centuries.

Located in the Gobi Desert, the tombs cover an area of almost 40 square kilometers. It comprises 9 imperial mausoleums, 271 subordinate tombs, the northern architectural site totaling 5.03 hectares, and 32 flood control works sites. It forms a magnificent landscape against the backdrop of the Helan Mountains.