Japan - High tech, hot springs , sumo, baseball, Kabuki, Bunraku, and ancient shrines while bullet trains chase time. Highly ritualized, aesthetically elegant, graceful, and dynamically in tune with the 21 century.

World Heritage sites

• Buddhist Monuments in the Horyu-ji Area (1993)
• Himeji-jo (1993)
• Shirakami-Sanchi (1993)
• Yakushima (1993)
• Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities) (1994)
• Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama (1995)
• Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome) (1996)
• Itsukushima Shinto Shrine (1996)
• Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara (1998)
• Shrines and Temples of Nikko (1999)
• Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu (2000)
• Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range (2004)
• Shiretoko (2005)

China - the Wall, warriors, and tribal minorities amid breathtaking scenery. One of the world's oldest and greatest civilizations emerging from layers of antiquity reclaiming and reinventing itself.

World Heritage Sites

• Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang (1987, 2004)
• Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor (1987)
• Mogao Caves (1987)
• Mount Taishan (1987)
• Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian (1987)
• The Great Wall (1987)
• Mount Huangshan (1990)
• Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area (1992)
• Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area (1992)
• Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area (1992)
• Ancient Building Complex in the Wudang Mountains (1994)
• Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace, Lhasa (1994, 2000, 2001) 3
• Mountain Resort and its Outlying Temples, Chengde (1994)
• Temple and Cemetery of Confucius and the Kong Family Mansion in Qufu (1994)
• Lushan National Park (1996)
• Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area (1996)
• Ancient City of Ping Yao (1997)
• Classical Gardens of Suzhou (1997, 2000)
• Old Town of Lijiang (1997)
• Summer Palace, an Imperial Garden in Beijing (1998)
• Temple of Heaven: an Imperial Sacrificial Altar in Beijing (1998)
• Dazu Rock Carvings (1999)
• Mount Wuyi (1999)
• Ancient Villages in Southern Anhui - Xidi and Hongcun (2000)
• Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (2000, 2003, 2004)
• Longmen Grottoes (2000)
• Mount Qingcheng and the Dujiangyan Irrigation System (2000)
• Yungang Grottoes (2001)
• Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas (2003)
• Capital Cities and Tombs of the Ancient Koguryo Kingdom (2004)
• Historic Centre of Macao (2005)
• Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries (2006)
• Yin Xu (2006