Gulangyu island in east China's Fujian Province, famous for its varied architecture and pedestrian-only policy, was included on the UNESCO World Heritage list, making China the country with the most sites on the list with 52.

The decision was made at the 41th session of the World Heritage Committee on Saturday.

Located on the estuary of Jiulong River facing Xiamen city, Gulangyu island includes a settlement of 931 historical buildings which represent a variety of local and international architectural styles, natural scenery, historic roads and gardens.

VCG Photo

"The successful inscription of the 'Gulangyu historic international settlement' to the list marks the fact that China's world heritage undertakings have made significant progress, and shows the cultural construction and cultural relics protection in Fujian Province have reached a new level," said Fu Qisheng, head of the Fujian Provincial Bureau of Cultural Heritage. "For those working for the Fujian cultural relics protection, it is both great honor and a huge responsibility."

On Friday, Hoh Xil nature reserve in northwestern China's Qinghai Province was put on the list as a natural site.

The Committee is holding the session in Krakow, Poland, between July 2 and 12 and will assess the nomination of 34 sites for inscription on UNESCO's World Heritage List.

(With inputs from Xinhua)