The ongoing 42nd Session of the World Heritage Committee in Bahrain on Friday deferred China's cultural heritage item "Ancient Quanzhou" to UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites.

Zayton is the old name of southeast China's Quanzhou City during the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), the time when China’s Maritime Silk Road was flourishing. The port is believed to be the starting point of the ancient China's maritime trading route, now known as the Maritime Silk Road.

The 42nd Session of the World Heritage Committee reviewed China's cultural heritage "Ancient Quanzhou" in Bahrain on June 29, 2018. /Xinhua Photo

Several member states confirmed in their discussions that the item had the "outstanding universal value" required to be included on the world heritage list, and the commission did not adopt "decides not to inscribe," which was the previous advice. 

The commission decided to label the project "deferred," namely the nominee needs to supplement some relevant information to submit an application and subject it to review.

According to the official document provided by UNESCO, the World Heritage Committee has four outcomes concerning the declaration of heritage items, including "inscribes," "decides not to inscribe," "referred," and "deferred."

During the World Heritage Committee session, the Committee reviews the state of conservation of World Heritage sites, inscribes new sites on the World Heritage List, and attends to other matters involved in the implementation of the World Heritage Convention.

At its 42nd session, the Committee will be examining 28 nominations, including 20 cultural sites, three mixed sites, and five natural sites. The committee will make decisions on dozens more nominated places before Wednesday.

(With input from UNESCO)