There are lots of sites which contain buildings/land which are/is privately owned (e.g All European towns/cities). But surprisingly few where the entire site is in private ownership since national governments and UNESCO both seem to quite like having sites as important as WHS under close control by them! (Though they can of course in many jurisdictions pass and use laws to impose close control over even privately owned sites) It was these relatively few which the Connection was intended to highlight. if we start to extend it to include sites with "some" private ownership we will surely add very many and lose focus.

So the issue re Fujian Tulou relates to the lands (since the buildings are said to be privately owned) which are "Collectively owned" . Does "Collective Ownership" = "Private Ownership". On reflection I guess that a "capitalist" Company/Corporation is "collectively owned" in a sense, albeit that we, in Europe/US etc would still consider it "private property".

A "judgment call" I think - yes it might be quite nice to find a few other sites in "Collective Ownership" (sensu stricto) but perhaps we should, pro tem, continue to regard "Collective Ownership" as "Private" - though I am not entirely "comfortable" with this!.

I would still claim that "Customary Ownership" as in the South Pacific sense IS different from "Private" (or even "Collective") ownership since it reflects a degree of operation outside the normal legal system - as per the link in the earlier post on this matter.

Are there any lawyers amongst us??!!

While researching some more entries for the new connection "Equestrian Statues", I was wondering if this statue is located within the borders of Gyeongju WHS.
Do you know, winterkjm ?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Statue_of_Kim_Yushin.jpg

P.S.: I plan to dissolve the current general connection for "Statues", as it is too non-specific.

Unfortunately the link provided by Wiki for the Gyeongju statue is to the statue of Kim Yushin in Namsan Park Seoul! See here for photos of both statues http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Yushin

The statue in Gyeongju is situated in Hwangseong Park to the north of Gyeongju and not, as far as I can see, part of any inscribed area - indeed more of a sports centre
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hwangseong_Park

Turtles/tortoises and Bixi

I found a very interesting issue that someone added this connection with Mount Taishan by using Bixi as the reason. I understand that Els put this connection under "ecology" category, but Bixi or dragon head turtoise, in my understanding, is an East Asian mytical turtoise which is quite doubtful for connection.

However Bixi is a very interesting on its own, as we can see Bixi in many WHS especially in China; for example, Ming and Qing Imperial Tombs, Qufu's Kong Family Tombs, and Beijing Imperial Palace. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bixi_(tortoise)

I will give them their own connection.

Giant Buddha Statues - Is the Seokguram Buddha too small for this connection, I don't know if it could be considered giant? It is 3.5 meters in height and sits on a 1.34 meter tall lotus pedestal.

It can be, and can not be depend on how we think the word "UNUSUAL" and the word "GIANT" means. Compared with the listed statues in the connection, Seokguram Buddha at 3.5 m (exclude the pedestral) still consider small in my opinion. It should be at least 10 m high.

Also Els I think we can combine this connection with the giant reclining buddha connection.

I've done that now, and also added the sizes of the Buddhas. And added "10 meters" in height or width as the minimum.

Notable examples of island gigantism

The connection of Rafflesia with Kinabalu Park, I think better to specific to "Rafflesia keithii" which can only be found in Borneo, as other specie of rafflesia flower can also be found in Malay Peninsular which is not island.

Drifting Across the Sea: A Record of Ming China

The record of Choe Bu show that he travel from Chang Gate which located in NW of Suzhou and go to area that can see Hanshan Mountain Temple about 5 kilometres west of the old city of Suzhou, so he travel in the western part of old Suzhou. While most of the WHS gardens are located in the city center and southern part of the city. The only possible garden is the Lingering Garden; however this garden is not possible to see from the canal. So it is still quite hard to really connect Suzhou garden to Choe Bu's record.

I've changed them both, Durian!

Els and I discussed this when I submitted the connection by email. From the diary it is obvious he does spend some time in the northwest section of the old walled city. Very much in the vacinity of the Garden of Cultivation, moreover he stayed not too far from the Lingering garden.

However, since he visited Suzhou in 1488, it is difficult to know to what extent any of these gardens existed. Furthermore, in the diary, nowhere does he specifically mention gardens. He details much of the atmosphere, people, trade, business, and some of the sights of the city. Nevertheless, his descriptions lack any real connection to the inscribed gardens.

I hesitated to include Suzhou in the connection, but as it was an important part of Choe Bu's journey, I thought I would include it see what Els and others thought.

Dear Winterkjm, the journey of Choe Bu is interesting and I would love to connect Suzhou with any great connection as I spend 1.5 years living in this city, and I really love Suzhou. Hope that the extension plan of Suzhou gardens WHS to include old city area and some canal zones will be inscribed in the future, as these areas are also beautiful and Choe Bu can be linked.

Phoenix Connection

Another mistake on connection.

Kuguryo Kingdom and Koguryo Tombs have been linked to phoenix by use the red bird one of the four symbol of directions in East Asia. This is a common misunderstanding that the Red Bird or Vermilion Bird (Suzaku in Japanese, Jujak in Korean, Zhuque in Chinese) is Phoenix. Phoenix in Asian has to Fenghung in Chinese, Ho-o in Japanese or Bonghwang in Korean.

For Kuguryo Kingdom and Koguryo Tombs, it is Red Bird not Phoenix.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vermilion_Bird

Thanks for the information. I did not know this. I guess the Koguryeo sites are out!

Numerous Ramsar sites have recently been added. Some are also WHS.

Egypt
Wadi El Rayan Protected Area, 2012 - Wadi Al-Hitan (Whale Valley), 2005

Japan
Miyajima, 2012 - Itsukushima Shinto Shrine, 1996

Missing:

Japan
Yakushima Nagata-hama, 2005 - Yakushima, 1993

http://www.ramsar.org/cda/en/ramsar-documents-list-world-heritage/main/ramsar/1-31-21 8%5E21960_4000_0__