Kathmandu Valley (1979)

At the crossroads of the great civilizations of Asia, seven groups of Hindu and Buddhist monuments, as well as the three residential and palace areas of the royal cities of Kathmandu, Patan and Bhadgaon, illustrate Nepalese art at its height. Among the 130 monuments are pilgrimage centers, temples, shrines, bathing sites and gardens - all sites of veneration by both religious groups.

More details on Kathmandu.

Sagarmatha National Park, including Mt. Everest (1979)

Sagarmatha is an exceptional area with dramatic mountains, glaciers and deep valleys, dominated by Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world (8,882 metres). The park shelters several rare species, such as the snow leopard and the lesser panda. The presence of the Sherpas, with their unique culture, add further interest to this site.

Biographical Province 2.38.12 (Himalayan Highlands)

Geographical Location Lies in the Solu-Khumbu District of the north-eastern region of Nepal. The park encompasses the upper catchment of the Dudh Kosi River system, which is fan-shaped and forms a distinct geographical unit enclosed on all sides by high mountain ranges. The northern boundary is defined by the main divide of the Great Himalayan Range, which follows the international border with the Tibetan Autonomous Region of China. In the south, the boundary extends almost as far as Monjo on the Dudh Kosi. The 63 settlements within the park are technically excluded as enclaves. 27°45'-28°07'N, 86°28'-87°07'E

Date and History of Establishment Created a national park on 19 July 1976 and inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1979.

Area 114,800ha. The park lies adjacent to the proposed Makalu-Barun National Park and Conservation Area (233,000ha).

Royal Chitwan National Park (1984)

Criteria

Biographical Province 4.08.04 (Indus-Ganges Monsoon Forest)

Geographical Location Chitwan lies in the lowlands or Inner Terai of southern central Nepal on the international border with India. The park's boundaries extend from the Dauney Hills on the west bank of the Narayani River eastward 78km to Hasta and Dhoram rivers. The park is bounded to the north by the Narayani and Rapti rivers and to the south by the Panchnad and Reu rivers and a forest road. 27°20-27°40'N, 83°52'-84°45'E

Parsa Wildlife Reserve is contiguous to the eastern boundary of the park and extends as far eastwards as the Bheraha and Bagali rivers. 27°15'-27°35'N, 84°45'-84°58'E

Date and History of Establishment Chitwan was declared a national park in 1973, following approval by the late King Mahendra in December 1970. The bye-laws (Royal Chitwan National Park Regulations) were introduced on 4 March 1974. Substantial additions were made to the park in 1977 and the adjacent Parsa Wildlife Reserve was established in 1984. The habitat had been well protected as a royal hunting reserve from 1846 to 1951 during the Rana regime. An area south of the Rapti River was first proposed as a rhinoceros sanctuary in 1958 (Gee, 1959), demarcated in 1963 (Gee, 1963; Willan, 1965) and later incorporated into the national park.

At the foot of the Himalayas, Chitwan is one of the few undisturbed areas of the Terai region which formerly extended over the foothills of India and Nepal, with its very rich flora and fauna. One of the last populations of single-horned Asiatic rhinoceros lives in the park, which is also among the last refuges for the Bengal tiger.

Area Chitwan was enlarged from 54,400ha to its present size of 93,200ha in 1977. Parsa Wildlife Reserve covers 49,900ha. There was a proposal to further enlarge the protected areas complex by establishing the 25,900ha Bara Hunting Reserve (Wegge, 1976; Smith and Mishra, 1981), adjacent to and east of Parsa Wildlife Reserve, but this has been dropped (B.N. Upreti, pers. comm., 1986).

Lumbini, the Birthplace of the Lord Buddha (1997)

Criteria

Siddhartha Gautama was born in 623 BC at the famous gardens of Lumbini, and his birthplace became a place of pilgrimage. Among the pilgrims was the Indian Emperor Ashoka, who erected one of his commemorative pillars there. The site is now being developed as a Buddhist pilgrimage center, of which the remains associated with its early history and the birth of the Lord Buddha form a central feature.

More details on Lumbini.