East China’s port city of Quanzhou was added to UNESCO World Heritage (遗产) List on July 25, 2021, bringing the total number of the country’s UNESCO World Heritage sites to 56. The following are four of them, which fall into two categories — three cultural sites and one natural site.

＊Classical Gardens of Suzhou

Classical Chinese garden design, which seeks to recreate natural scenery, is nowhere better shown than in the nine gardens in Suzhou. They are generally acknowledged to be masterpieces of the style. Dating from the 11^th — 19^th century, the gardens reflect the importance of natural beauty in Chinese culture in their design.

＊Hubei Shennongjia

This natural site protects the largest primary forests remaining in Central China and provides living space for many rare animals. It is one of three centers of biodiversity in China. The site is important in the history of botanical research and was the object of international plant collecting trips in the 19^th and 20^th centuries.

＊Ancient City of Pingyao

Founded in the 14^th century, Pingyao is a well-preserved example of a traditional Han Chinese city. It shows the changes of architectural styles and town planning in China over five centuries. Of special interest are the grand buildings associated with banking, for which Pingyao was the major centre for the whole of China in the 19^th and early 20^th centuries.

＊Ancient Villages in Southern Anhui — Xidi and Hongcun

The two traditional villages of Xidi and Hongcun preserve the appearance of non-urban settlements of a type that largely disappeared or was transformed during the last century. Their street plan, their architecture and decoration, and the harmony of houses with water systems are unique surviving examples.

The whole idea behind the US National Parks system was to preserve natural and historic locations, and the wildlife that lives there. The goal allows for inclusion of any place that features natural beauty, unique geological features, or an interesting ecosystem, plus the sites of national monuments and other places of historical or archaeological significance.

We’ve selected three US National Parks that are as different from each other as possible. Let’s start in the northeastern corner of the US, with a beautiful park called Acadia National Park.

Acadia National Park

Acadia National Park is in Eastern Maine, near the town of Bar Harbour. The park is unique, in that it features a wide variety of landscapes, including mountains, ocean coastlines, woodlands, lakes, and wetlands. It covers a total of about 49,000 acres.

The park is home to 37 species of mammals, including black bears, moose, and deer. There are 33 fish species and 331 bird varieties.

Everglades National Park

Unlike many national parks, Everglades National Park was initially created to protect a fragile and disappearing ecosystem. The Everglades consist of a network of wetlands and forests that are fed by a river flowing slowly out of Lake Okeechobee.

The Everglades cover a massive area, and Everglades National Park protects only the southern twenty percent. It’s the United States’ largest tropical(热带的)wilderness; in fact, it’s the largest wilderness of the east of the Mississippi River.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is located on “the big island”, Hawaii. It was created in 1916. The park features two active volcanoes, one of which, Mauna Loa, is the world’s largest shield volcano. The other, Kilauea, is one of the world’s most active volcanoes.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park lets visitors get up close and personal with the two volcanoes. Odd-looking lava(岩浆)fields and dramatic landscapes captivate the eye, and you can learn about the rare plants and animals that thrive in the tough environment.

Victoria Falls is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Statistically speaking, it is the largest waterfall in the world. Victoria Falls is located on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. The falls are also close to the border of Botswana. The Zambezi River, which originates in northern Zambia, serves as the falls’ water source.

There are basically two seasons for the Victoria Falls area. The rainy season runs from late November to early April with the remaining months accounting for the dry season. One would imagine that the rainy season with more water would make the falls more spectacular (壮观的), however, the additional water and subsequent mist(水汽) in the air makes it nearly impossible to see the base of the falls.

The months of June and July are probably the best time to view the falls. The water levels are still high enough to show the beauty of the falls, but the amount of water is less, creating less mist and more visibility of the falls.

As you move into the later part of the dry season, August through October, it is quite possible that you will see more rock face than falls. However, this also opens the door for walking across the top of the falls, which can be a unique and exhilarating experience as well.

During the rainy season and high water, Victoria Falls can be a challenge to capture (抓拍) with a camera because of all of the mist in the air. However, this increases the probabilities that you will be able to capture rainbow images around the falls.

The lower water levels can create more dramatic pictures with various rocks cropping out between the falls. You should also be able to see the canyon and base of the falls. You will also be able to walk across the top of the falls and take images down the face of the falls.