A mosque? A cathedral? - Historic Centre of Cordoba 313; Fiesta of the patios in Cordova 00846; Mediterranean diet 00884 Mosque-Cathedral What and Why Cordova ( Spanish : Córdoba ) is an epicentre of cultural crossroads in Europe as it contains a mixture of the diverse cultures that have settled it throughout history. Very few cities in the world had the history and privilege to serve as the capital of a major Roman province, namely Further Hispania ( Hispania Ulterior )

Magical use of space, light, water and greens in a Moorish castle - Alhambra, Generalife and Albayzín, Granada 314; Flamenco 00363; Mediterranean diet 00884 Alhambra What and Why Alhambra is a palace and fortress complex located on a hilltop in Granada and was originally constructed as a small fortress in the late 9th century on the remains of Roman fortifications . The complex was then largely ignored until its ruins were renovated and rebuilt in the mid-13th century by th

Alms-giving during sunrise - Town of Luang Prabang 479; Khaen music of the Lao people 01296; Traditional craft of Naga motif weaving in Lao communities 01973 Alms-giving at Luang Prabang What and Why Located in the confluence of Mekong River (ແມ່ນ້ຳຂອງ, Maenam Khong ) , Luang Prabang ( Lao : ຫລວງພະບາງ, Louangphabang ) is a remarkable city, so isolated from the outside world that it still possesses extremely well preserved architectural, religious and cultural heritages. In

Oppa Gangnam style! - Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty 1319; Arirang, lyrical folk song in the Republic of Korea 00445; Kimjang, making and sharing kimchi in the Republic of Korea 00881; Knowledge, beliefs and practices related to jang making in the Republic of Korea 01975 Gangnam style What and Why Gangnam ( Korean : 강남) , made famous by the hit song Gangnam Style ( 강남스타일 ) , is the current main business district of Seoul (서울) as a result of the rapid economic boom of Kor

An ultra-modern metropolis with a history of more than 2,000 years - Jongmyo Shrine 738; Changdeokgung Palace Complex 816; Royal ancestral ritual in the Jongmyo shrine and its music 00016; Kimjang, making and sharing kimchi in the Republic of Korea 00881; Knowledge, beliefs and practices related to jang making in the Republic of Korea 01975 Gwanghwamun What and Why Seoul ( Korean : 서울) is an ultra-modern city of stark contrasts. The city proper itself dates back to 18 BCE,

One of the most beautiful mediaeval European cities with a hint of former communist feel - Historic Centre of Kraków 29; Nativity scene (szopka) tradition in Krakow 01362 Old town square What and Why Kraków (pronounced /ˈkrakuf/) is always cited as one of the most culturally rich and beautiful cities in the world in various forum, so much so that its fame lands itself being the first batch of UNESCO WHS inscriptions in 1979. Banked on the Vistula river ( Polish : Wisła ) ,

Two-route Mannerist pilgrimage park that gives its visitors an air of serenity - Kalwaria Zebrzydowska: the Mannerist Architectural and Park Landscape Complex and Pilgrimage Park 905 Basilica of Saint Mary What and Why Kalwaria Zebrzydowska park ( Polish : Sanktuarium pasyjno-maryjne w Kalwarii Zebrzydowskiej ) is a beautiful and serene Mannerist , or late Renaissance , architectural and park landscape complex and pilgrimage park, built in the 17th century as the Counter Refo

The Pearl of Adriatic as if a page from Games of Thrones - Old City of Dubrovnik 95; Festivity of Saint Blaise, the patron of Dubrovnik 00232; Art of dry stone construction, knowledge and techniques 02106 Dubrovnik What and Why Dubrovnik , known as the ' Pearl of the Adriatic ' by George Byron , is a city that comes out of the page of the mediaeval fantasy stories with the city being beautifully planned and constructed with brown marbles and limestones. The history of the ci

Fusion of Spanish, Oriental and local architecture in churches - Baroque Churches in the Philippines 677; The School of Living Traditions (SLT) 01739 Paoay Church What and Why During the Spanish Colonial Period from the 16th to 19th century, the Spanish missionaries arrived at the Philippines ( Tagalog : Pilipinas ) , spread Christianity and built churches in their new land. The Spanish would like to build new and long-lasting churches to create a proper place to worship an

Resort island formed by molten lava - Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes 1264; Culture of Jeju Haenyeo (women divers) 01068 Ilchulbong (from internet) What and Why Jeju City ( Korean : 제주시, Jejusi ) is located on the island province Jeju ( 제주 ) , which the island was formed as a result of massive volcano eruptions. The island is famous for its various geological and volcanic formations, mainly responsible by the main volcano Hallasan ( 한라산 ) . Jeju is scientifically valua

Indentured labour gateway - Aapravasi Ghat 1227; Bhojpuri folk songs in Mauritius, Geet-Gawai 01178 Aapravasi Ghat What and Why The Aapravasi Ghat is another iconic representation of forced labour and slavery in Africa during the colonial times. During the period from mid-19th to early 20th century, Mauritius was a centre for i ndentured , or contracted, labour workforce from many countries due to its extensive requirement for labours in the sugar-cane plantations, manage

A city of contrasting unequals: Bollywood against traditional culture, mega-rich against slum; Victorian architectures against Hindu buildings - Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) 945; Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai 1480; Yoga 01163 Taj Hotel and Gate of India What and Why As in the subtitle, Mumbai ( Hindi : मुम्बई) is really a city of contrasting paradoxes: It is the epicentre of Bollywood movies featuring all sorts of fantasies,

Once the world's largest commercial canal-based city with a picturesque mediaeval urbanscape - Flemish Béguinages 855; Belfries of Belgium and France 943; Historic Centre of Brugge 996; Safeguarding the carillon culture: preservation, transmission, exchange and awareness-raising 01017; Beer culture in Belgium 01062 Boatrip at Rozenhoedkaai What and Why Bruges ( Dutch : Brugge ) was at one point the commercial heart of the world, due its port and rivers. The city connects wi

Small pyramids and temples of the Kush Empire - Archaeological Sites of the Island of Meroe 1336; Date palm, knowledge, skills, traditions and practices 01509; Al-Jertiq: practices, rituals and expressions for preservation, protection, abundance and fertility in Sudan 02275 Small pyramids of Meroe What and Why I am extremely proud that as a Chinese I actually took a Sudanese to his own heritage treasure of Meroë ( Arabic : مروي) , during my recent diplomatic work. No joke, t

Modest capital of Morocco - Rabat, Modern Capital and Historic City: a Shared Heritage 1401; Mediterranean diet 884; Moroccan Caftan: art, traditions and skills 02077 Hassan Tower of Rabat What and Why Rabat ( Tamazight : ⴰⵕⴱⴰⵟ, Aṛṛbaṭ ) , meaning 'fortress' or 'stronghold', is a small, modern but low-key capital of Morocco (ⵍⵎⵖⵔⵉⴱ, Lmeɣrib ) . It is founded formally only in the late 18th century, and is the most recent of the four imperial cities, although the kasbah (Arabi

Capital of art nouveau and pickpockets - Works of Antoni Gaudí 320; Palau de la Música Catalana and Hospital de Sant Pau, Barcelona 804; Human Towers 00364; Mediterranean diet 00884 Parc Guell What and Why Barcelona is now one of the most popular tourist cities, offering its visitors good art, football, food, culture, commerce and even science. It has developed itself as a significant global brand as a city and is considered one of the economic powerhouse in Spain ( Spanish

Subterranean temple since 3000 BCE - Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum 130; Il-Ftira, culinary art and culture of flattened sourdough bread in Malta 01580 Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum What and Why Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum ( Maltese : Ipoġew ) is a large complex of rooms hewn out of the limestone and thought to have been a sanctuary and necropolis , with the remains of more than 7,000 individuals documented by archaeologists. ‘Hypogeum’ means ‘underground’ in Greek, ‘ Ħal ’ means ‘small’ in Malte

Second oldest standing structures on Earth - Megalithic Temples of Malta 132 Ġgantija What and Why The Megalithic Temples of Malta ( Maltese : It-Tempji Megalitiċi ta' Malta ) are several prehistoric temples built during the period 3600 BCE to 700 BCE in various spots in Malta. They were the oldest free-standing structures on Earth until the discovery of Göbekli Tepe of Turkey. Archaeologists believe that these megalithic complexes are the result of local innovations in

Time warp to the mediaevals and Game of Thrones - City of Valletta 131; L-Għana, a Maltese folksong tradition 01681 Valletta What and Why Valletta 's 16th-century buildings have now been recognised as the backdrop of the famed television series Game of Thrones . The city main architecture is Baroque , adding elements of neo-classicism really put one back into a mediaeval fantasy. The city was ruled successively by the Phoenicia (Phoenician: 𐤊𐤍𐤏𐤍, Kenāʿan ) , Ancient Gr

The holy pilgrimage site for Buddhists - Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya 1056 Mahabodhi Complex What and Why Bōdh Gayā ( Hindi : बोधगया) and its temple complex is the most sacred, religious site and place of pilgrimage for Buddhists. It is famous as it is the place where the Buddha (Sanskrit: बुद्ध, né Siddhattha Gotam a (Pali) ) , is said to have achieved enlightenment (Sanskrit: अनुत्तर सम्यक् सम्बोधि, anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi ) under what became known as the bodh