The Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (the World Heritage Convention) was adopted by the UNESCO General Conference at its 17th session in Paris on November 16, 1972. The convention came into force in 1975. A total of 182 countries and regions have joined the convention, and so far 812 properties from 137 countries and regions have been included on the World Heritage list. The list includes 628 cultural properties, 160 natural properties and 24 properties that meet both cultural and natural criteria.

China ratified the convention in 1985, becoming a contracting party. On October 29, 1999, China became a member state of the World Heritage Committee. In 1986, China began to identify and nominate sites on its national territory to be considered for inclusion on the World Heritage list. So far, the number of its sites on the list has reached 33.