世界文化和自然遗产
2005年中国申报世界文化遗产的惟一项目——“澳门历史城区”，在第二十九届世界遗产委员会会议上获准列入《世界遗产名录》。“澳门历史城区”以澳门旧城为中心，通过相邻的广场和街道，串连起逾20个历史建筑，是中国境内现存最古老、规模最大、保存最完整的具有中西建筑特色的历史城区，是400多年来中西文化交流、多元共存的结晶。
中国于1985年加入《保护世界文化和自然遗产公约》，至今已有31处文化和自然遗产被列入《世界遗产名录》，在世界上排名第三。从2004年开始，北京的六项世界文化遗产—明十三陵、长城、故宫、天坛、颐和园和周口店“北京人”遗址进行首次大规模修缮，计划于2008年前完工。
中国还是世界上无形文化遗产最丰富的国家之一，昆曲、古琴艺术、维吾尔族木卡姆艺术和蒙古族长调民歌均获得联合国教科文组织“人类口头和非物质遗产代表作”称号，其中蒙古族长调民歌是2005年中国首次与外国（蒙古国）就同一非物质遗产联合向联合国教科文组织申报并获通过的项目。此外，纳西族东巴古籍文献和古代科举考试的文献档案“清朝金榜”被列入“世界记忆遗产名录”。2001年，联合国教科文组织还将世界上最长的史诗——中国藏族史诗《格萨尔王传》列入世界千年纪念名单。
中国的世界文化和自然遗产名单
一、长城（北京市，1987，世界文化遗产）
二、明清皇宫（世界文化遗产：北京故宫—北京市，1987；沈阳故宫—辽宁省2004）
三、周口店“北京人”遗址（北京市，1987，世界文化遗产）
四、敦煌莫高窟（甘肃省，1987，世界文化遗产）
五、秦始皇陵与秦兵马俑（陕西省，1987，世界文化遗产）
六、泰山（山东省，1987，世界文化和自然遗产）
七、黄山（安徽省，1990，世界文化和自然遗产）
八、九寨沟（四川省，1992，世界自然遗产）
九、黄龙寺风景区（四川省，1992，世界自然遗产）
十、武陵源风景区（湖南省，1992，世界自然遗产）
十一、承德避暑山庄与外八庙（河北省，1994，世界文化遗产）
十二、布达拉宫（西藏自治区，1994，世界文化遗产）
十三、曲阜孔庙、孔府、孔林（山东省，1994，世界文化遗产）
十四、武当山古建筑群（湖北省，1994，世界文化遗产）
十五、庐山（江西省，1996，世界文化遗产）
十六、峨嵋山与乐山大佛（四川省，1996，世界文化和自然遗产）
十七、平遥古城（山西省，1997，世界文化遗产）
十八、苏州古典园林（江苏省，1997，世界文化遗产）
十九、丽江古城（云南省，1997，世界文化遗产）
二十、颐和园（北京市，1998，世界文化遗产）
二十一、天坛（北京市，1998，世界文化遗产）
二十二、武夷山（福建省，1999，世界文化和自然遗产）
二十三、大足石刻（重庆市，1999，世界文化遗产）
二十四、明清皇家陵寝（世界文化遗产：明显陵—湖北省，2000；清东陵、清西陵—河北省，2000；明十三陵—北京市，2003；明孝陵—江苏省，2003；盛京三陵—辽宁省，2004）
二十五、龙门石窟（河南省，2000，世界文化遗产）
二十六、青城山与都江堰（四川省，2000，世界文化遗产）
二十七、皖南古村落—西递、宏村（安徽省，2000，世界文化遗产）
二十八、云冈石窟（山西省，2001，世界文化遗产）
二十九、三江并流景观（云南省，2003，世界自然遗产）
三十、高句丽王城、王陵及贵族墓葬（辽宁省、吉林省，2004，世界文化遗产）
三十一、澳门历史城区（澳门特别行政区，2005，世界文化遗产）
World Cultural and Natural Heritage in China
The "Historic Center of Macao," China's only 2005 submission for World Heritage listing, was approved at the 29th session of the World Heritage Committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). With 20 historic buildings around the old quarter, joined up by interlacing squares and streets, Macao's historic center has the biggest, best-preserved and most complete concentration of Chinese and Western buildings than any district in China. Over four centuries of cultural exchange between China and the Western world are represented in this jewel.
Since it joined the Convention Concerning the Protection of the Cultural and Natural Heritage in 1985, China now has 31 world heritage sites, ranking third in the world. Since 2004, massive renovations have been made to Beijing's six cultural heritage sites Dthe Ming Tombs, Great Wall, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace and Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian, all of which are planned for completion by 2008.
In additon, China also has a rich non-material cultural heritage, one of the world's richest. Its kunqu Opera, and the art of playing the guqin (seven-stringed zither), Uygur Muqam music and Mongolian pastoral song have been included on the UNESCO list of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. In 2005, China, for the first time, submitted a joint application with another country (Mongolia) for Mongolian pastoral song to be entered on the list. The ancient Naxi Dongba literature manuscripts and the list of successful candidates in the Qing Dynasty imperial examinations have also been inscribed on the Memory of the World. In 2001, the Chinese Tibetan epic King Gesar, the world's longest epic, was listed by UNESCO in the world millennium memorials. China's World Cultural and Natural Heritage Sites
1.The Great Wall (Beijing, 1987, World Cultural Heritage)
2. The Imperial Palace of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (World cultural Heritage: the Forbidden City,
Beijing, 1987; the Imperial Palace of the Qing Dynasty in Shenyang, Liaoning Province, 2004)
3. "Peking Man" Site at Zhoukoudian (Beijing, 1987, World Cultural Heritage)
4. Mogao Grottoes at Dunhuang (Gansu Province, 1987, World Cultural Heritage)
5. Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum and the Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses (Shaanxi Province, 1987, World
Cultural Heritage)
6. Mount Taishan (Shandong Province, 1987, World Cultural and Natural Heritage)
7. Mount Huangshan (Anhui Province, 1990, World Cultural and Natural Heritage)
8. Jiuzhaigou Valley (Sichuan Province, 1992, World Natural Heritage)
9. Huanglongsi Scenic Spot (Sichuan Province, 1992, World Natural Heritage)
10. Wulingyuan Scenic Spot (Hunan Province, 1992, World Natural Heritage)
11. Chengde Mountain Summer Resort and Eight Outer Temples (Hebei Province, 1994, World Cultural
Heritage)
12. Potala Palace (Tibet Autonomous Region, 1994, World Cultural Heritage)
13. Confucius Temple, Confucius Family Mansion and Confucius Woods at Qufu (Shandong Province, 1994,
World Cultural Heritage)
14. Ancient Buildings on Mount Wudang (Hubei Province, 1994, World Cultural Heritage)
15. Mount Lushan (Jiangxi Province, 1996, World Cultural Heritage)
16. Mount Emei and the Leshan Giant Buddha (Sichuan Province, 1996, World Cultural and Natural Heritage)
17. Ancient City of Pingyao (Shanxi Province, 1997, World Cultural Heritage)
18. Suzhou Classical Gardens (Jiangsu Province, 1997, World Cultural Heritage)
19. Ancient City of Lijiang (Yunan Province, 1997, World Cultural Heritage)
20. The Summer Palace (Beijing, 1998, World Cultural Heritage)
21. The Temple of Heaven (Beijing, 1998, World Cultural Heritage)
22. Mount Wuyi (Fujian Province, 1999, World Cultural and Natural Heritage)
23. Dazu Grottoes (Chongqing, 1999, World Cultural Heritage)
24. Ming and Qing Imperial Mausoleums (World Cultural Heritage: Ming Xianling Mausoleums, Hubei
Province, 2000; Qing Dongling Mausoleums and Qing Xiling Mausoleums, Hebei Province, 2000; Ming Tombs, Beijing, 2003; Ming Xiaoling Mausoleums, Jiangsu, 2003; three imperial mausoleums of Shengjing, Liaoning Province, 2004)
25. Longmen Grottoes (Henan Province, 2000, World Cultural Heritage)
26. Mount Qingcheng and Dujiang Dam (Sichuan Province, 2000, World Cultural Heritage)
27. Xidi and Hongcun--Ancient Villages in South Anhui (Anhui Provicne, 2000, World Cultural Heritage)
28. Y ungang Grottoes (Shanxi Province, 2001, World Cultural Heritage)
29. Three Parallel Rivers Scene (Yunan Province, 2003, World Natural Heritage)
30 The Capital Cities and Tombs of the Ancient Koguryo Kingdom (Liaoning and Jilin Provinces, 2004,
World Natural Heritage)
31. Historic Center of Macao (Macao Special Administrative Region, 2005, World Cultural Heritage)
书法和绘画
中国汉字是从图画、符号逐渐演变形成的，汉字的书写和发展过程导致了书法艺术的产生。中国历代都有大书法家，其书法艺术和风格成为所在朝代书法的典型代表。人们对书法的喜爱一直流传到今天。
不同于西方的油画，中国的传统绘画有独特的表现形式。距今六七千年前新石器时代绘于陶器上的图画，是中国最早的绘画作品。由于最早的绘画和写字均使用同样的工具，并且都是以线条为主，故有“书画同源”之说。中国传统绘画作品一般都有题诗或题字，诗、书、画因而汇合成一个艺术整体，予人以更加丰厚的美学内涵。人物画、山水画和花鸟画均为传统绘画的重要画种，历代留下的此类绘画尤见传神。
当代中国的书法与绘画相当活跃。中国美术馆等艺术馆长年不断举办个人画展或联展；中国画每年都走出国门，到日本、韩国、美国、加拿大和欧洲等地展览。除中国画外，油画、版画、水彩画等西洋绘画在中国也得到发展。部分画家将国画与西画技法糅合一起进行创作，使画坛呈现出风格多样的艺术作品。以各种现代材料、格式、框架和手法为载体的现代艺术也占有一席之地，包括视频、数码、动画和声音艺术在内的新媒体艺术作品，已经在国内外的当代艺术展览中频频露面。
1994年3月，刚刚成立不久的中国嘉德国际拍卖有限公司在北京长城饭店举行书画、油画拍卖会，以总成交额1420多万元创下中国艺术品拍卖会首次突破千万元大关的纪录，从而轰动了全国。2005年，中国嘉德秋季拍卖会总成交额近7亿元，接近十年前的50倍。与艺术品拍卖行业的发展同步，画廊业近年来逐渐与国际惯例接轨。每年分别在北京、上海和广州各举办一次的艺术博览会，成为艺术品交易的另一种途径，其中上海艺术博览会为亚洲参展艺术品门类最齐全的艺术博览会。
Calligraphy and Painting
Chinese characters evolved from pictures and signs, and the Chinese art of calligraphy developed naturally from its unique writing system. Every dynasty had its great calligraphers whose styles came to symbolize their age, and the Chinese people's love of calligraphy stems from that tradition.
Different from Western oil painting, traditional Chinese painting is characterized by unique forms of expression. Its roots can be traced back to paintings on Neolithic pottery 6,000-7,000 years ago. Since similar tools were used to draw the lines of the earliest painting and writing, painting and calligraphy are said to share the same origins. Chinese paintings usually include poetry or calligraphy, thus the three are integrated, providing a richer aesthetic
experience. Figure, landscape, and flower-and-bird paintings are major traditional painting genres, still highly valued today.
Contemporary painting and calligraphy are still very active. The National Art Museum of China and others hold individual or joint exhibitions every year, and exhibitions of traditional Chinese painting have been held in Japan, the Republic of Korea, the United States, Canada and Europe. Chinese artists have also made remarkable progress in Western-style oil painting, woodcut and watercolor and many have created works that combine traditional Chinese style with Western techniques, adding splendor to both forms. New media art works, including video, digital, animated and audio art, are frequently seen at domestic and overseas exhibitions.
In March 1994, the newly founded China Guardian Auctions held an auction of Chinese painting, calligraphy and oil painting at Beijing's Great Wall Sheraton Hotel, resulting in transactions totaling 14.2 million yuan and setting a record for mainland China's artwork auctions. The 2005 autumn auction raised nearly 700 million yuan in transactions, almost 50 times the 1994 total. Art galleries too are catching up with international practice. Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou take turns to host an annual art exposition, adding a new channel for trading in art; the Shanghai Art Fair boasts the greatest variety of artworks of any fair in Asia