UNESCO, the educational, scientific and cultural arm of the United Nations, has added nine new sites to its World Heritage List. Honorees include a Chinese port city known as the “emporium of the world,” a Saudi Arabian site featuring rock inscriptions spanning 7,000 years and an international network of European spa towns.
Quanzhou, located on the coast of China’s Fujian province by the Jin River, earned a spot on the list for its significance in maritime trade between the 10th and 14th centuries C.E., reports Phoebe Zhang for the South China Morning Post. Reflecting Quanzhou's diverse heritage, the 22 historical sites and monuments highlighted by Unesco include a huge statue of Lao Tzu, the founder of Taoism; one of China’s first mosques; and the Kaiyuan Buddhist Temple.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nine-new-sites-join-unesco-world-heritage-list-180978282/