Name the Chinese City from its UNESCO Sites Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. One of four so-called "directly controlled municipalities", this city contains the Dazu Rock Carvings: stone reliefs based on Taoist, Buddhist and Confucian themes. It is also the place from which people commence a river cruise through the Three Gorges.

Answer: Chongqing

Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin and Chongqing are all directly controlled municipalities: cities that are managed directly by China's central government. Even though all four are cities, they are considered administratively as provinces unto themselves.

Chongqing not only hosts the Dazu Rock Carvings and the start of the Three Gorges, it was also briefly the capital of China during WWII. It is the only one of the four directly controlled municipalities that is not on the east coast.

2. Almost everyone has heard of Shaolin Temple, but which city is it affiliated with? The first syllable of the city's name is also the surname of the paramount leader of China who reformed the country in the years following the death of Mao Zedong.

Answer: Dengfeng

Few people have heard of Dengfeng, even though Shaolin Temple is world-famous. It is located in Henan province, which is sometimes referred to as the birthplace of Chinese civilization because of its association with some of China's earliest dynasties.

The other three cities are also located in Henan: Luoyang is home to the stunning Buddhist sculptures of the Longmen Grottoes; Zhengzhou is the provincial capital; and Kaifeng is the only Chinese city that is known for having (historically at least) a significant Jewish population.

3. Where is the Potala Palace located? This city is located in the Tibet autonomous region.

Answer: Lhasa

The Potala Palace is located in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, which is one of China's five autonomous regions: areas that have a notably large proportion of ethnic minorities and are therefore given different legislative rights compared to normal provinces.

Shigatse is also in Tibet, while Xining is the capital of neighboring Qinghai province and Wulumuqi is capital of the neighboring autonomous region of Xinjiang.

4. China is full of stunning mountain landscapes, but which city in Hunan province is home to Wulingyuan, an area noted for gorgeous sandstone pillars that partly inspired the Hallelujah Mountains in the blockbuster "Avatar"?

Answer: Zhangjiajie

Hoping to capitalize on the success of "Avatar", one of the pillars in Wulingyuan has actually been officially renamed Avatar Hallelujah Mountain.

All the other locations are also in Hunan province. Shaoshan is the village where Mao Zedong was born. Fenghuang is a county that hosts an ancient scenic town renowned for its picturesque architecture, and Changsha is the provincial capital.

5. Several famous landmarks in China are actually the work of foreigners, who created European-style buildings in their enclaves and territories. In which of these places, formerly controlled by Portugal, could you see the Ruins of St. Paul's and Senado Square?

Answer: Macau

Macau was a Portuguese territory for more than four centuries. During that time, the Portuguese erected some beautiful architecture, which can still be seen in the historic center, away from the casinos that are a large draw for Chinese tourists today.

Macau is one of two specially administrated regions, the other being Hong Kong. Both were formerly overseas territories of European nations that have since been returned to China but retain distinctive laws and government.

Taiwan is claimed by China as its 23rd province, though it is de facto independent. Hainan is the only other Chinese province that is also an island.

6. The world's tallest pre-modern statue, a panda sanctuary, and emerald-colored lakes: only one province in China boasts all three. Its provincial capital is a UNESCO City of Gastronomy. Which city is it?

Answer: Chengdu

Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan Province, which has the most UNESCO sites outside of Beijing. It is world famous for its food and pandas.

Nanning is the provincial capital of Guangxi, where Guilin (revered for its karst mountains) is also located. Guiyang is the provincial capital of Guizhou.

7. The classical Chinese garden contains a harmonious blend of rocks, lakes and pavilions. But which city, located in Jiangsu province, is famed for its archetypal examples of the Chinese garden?

Answer: Suzhou

Suzhou's classical gardens are thought to have been the original blueprints for many archetypal feature of the traditional Chinese garden.

Nanjing is the capital of Jiangsu province, Hefei is the capital of Anhui province and Hangzhou is the capital of Zhejiang province - as well as being famous for the scenic nature of West Lake, another UNESCO site.

8. What is the birthplace of Confucius, China's most famous philosopher?

Answer: Qufu

Qufu contains a temple and cemetery dedicated to Confucius, as well as his family mansion. All three together contribute to Qufu's place on UNESCO's World Heritage list.

The other three options are all cities located in the same province, Shandong. Qingdao is famous nationwide as a beach resort, Jinan is the capital of Shandong and Linyi is a city in Shandong.

9. We noted that the Terracotta Warriors are one of the most widely recognized tourist spots in China at the beginning of this quiz, but do you actually know what city they are located in? It's also known for being the beginning of the Silk Road.

Answer: Xi'an

Xi'an used to called Chang'an when it was the capital city of the first emperor to unite China, Qinshihuang. Qinshihuang is famous for building the Terracotta Warriors for his tomb - as well as burning books and burying scholars who went against his ideas of how to run the empire.

Pingyao and Xanadu are both UNESCO sites as well, noted for being important ancient towns. Yan'an was the endpoint of the Long March, in which the communists fled the nationalist forces, thus living to fight another day and eventually rule China.

10. And finally, where is the Temple of Heaven located?

Answer: Beijing

We return to China's capital for the final UNESCO site in this quiz.

Xi'an, Luoyang and Nanjing - along with Beijing - are called the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China, because they were where early Chinese dynasties flourished.

Source: Author tomleetang

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Pagiedamon before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Most visitors to China think only of the Forbidden City and the Terracotta Warriors, but there are a lot of other cultural and natural sites worth visiting. Name the city in which the following UNESCO World Heritage sites can be found.

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