BUSAN, South Korea (Kyodo) — UNESCO decided Sunday to add a group of ancient sites in Nara Prefecture that show the formation of Japan’s centralized state to the World Heritage list, marking the country’s 27th such site.
The decision on the “Asuka-Fujiwara: Archaeological sites of Japan’s Ancient Capitals and Related Properties” was made during a meeting of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization World Heritage Committee held in Busan, South Korea.
The ruins are highly regarded for demonstrating the process by which the centralized state was established, against the backdrop of close interactions with China and the Korean Peninsula.
The Asuka-Fujiwara cluster consists of 19 archaeological sites dating from the late sixth century to the early eighth century.
The major sites include the ruins of the Asuka Palace and Fujiwara Palace related to early state-building, the remains of Japan’s first full-fledged capital, Buddhist temple ruins and ancient burial mounds.
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