Philip T.K. Profile
I became interested in the world heritage list after travelling to Southeast Asia (Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia) in July-August 2004 and buying a book about Vietnam's world heritage sites.
I have visited the following sites (in order):
1. Olympic National Park (July 2001)
2. Rideau Canal (numerous occasions), inscribed later in 2007
3. Melaka and George Town, historic cities of the Straits of Malacca (July 2004), inscribed later in 2008
4. Ha Long Bay (July 2004)
5. Complex of Hué Monuments (July 2004)
6. My Son Sanctuary (July 2004)
7. Hoi An Ancient Town (July 2004)
8. Angkor (August 2004)
9. Colonial City of Santo Domingo (March 2005)
10. Pre-Hispanic City of Chichen-Itza (August 2005)
11. Statue of Liberty (June 2006)
12. Independence Hall (June 2006)
13. Monticello and the University of Virginia in Charlottesville (June 2006)
14. Historic District of Old Québec (January 2007)
15. Everglades National Park (March 2007)
16. Fortifications on the Caribbean Side of Panama: Portobelo-San Lorenzo (March 2007)
17. Panamá Viejo and Historic District of Panamá (March 2007)
18. Aranjuez Cultural Landscape (August 2007)
19. Monastery and Site of the Escurial, Madrid (August 2007)
20. Old Town of Segovia and its Aqueduct (August 2007)
21. Old Town of Avila with its Extra-Muros Churches (August 2007)
22. Historic Centre of Cordoba (August 2007)
23. Cathedral, Alcazar and Archivo de Indias in Seville (August 2007)
24. Alhambra, Generalife and Albayzin, Granada (August 2007)
25. Historic City of Toledo (August 2007)
26. Old City of Salamanca (August 2007)
27. Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks (October 2007)
28. Tower of London (June 2008)
29. Canterbury Cathedral, St Augustine's Abbey and St Martin's Church (June 2008)
30. Maritime Greenwich (June 2008)
31. Westminster Palace, Westminster Abbey and Saint Margaret's Church (June 2008)
32. Paris, Banks of the Seine (July 2008)
33. Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France (July 2008)
34. Palace and Park of Versailles (July 2008)
35. Chartres Cathedral (July 2008)
36. Grand Place, Brussels (July 2008)
37. Historic Centre of Brugge (July 2008)
38. Belfries of Belgium and France (July 2008)
39. Flemish Béguinages (July 2008)
40. Cathedral of Notre-Dame, Former Abbey of Saint-Remi and Palace of Tau, Reims (July 2008)
41. Provins, Town of Medieval Fairs (July 2008)
42. Palace and Park of Fontainebleau (July 2008)
43. The Loire Valley between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes (July 2008)
44. Historic Centre of Avignon: Papal Palace, Episcopal Ensemble and Avignon Bridge (July 2008)
45. Roman Theatre and its Surroundings and the "Triumphal Arch" of Orange (July 2008)
46. Pont du Gard (Roman Aqueduct) (July 2008)
47. Arles, Roman and Romanesque Monuments (July 2008)
48. Amiens Cathedral (July 2008)
49. Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang (June 2009)
50. The Great Wall (June 2009)
51. Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (June 2009)
52. Yungang Grottoes (June 2009)
53. Ancient City of Ping Yao (June 2009)
54. Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor (June 2009)
55. Longmen Grottoes (June 2009)
56. Mountain Resort and its Outlying Temples, Chengde (June 2009)
57. Temple of Heaven: an Imperial Sacrificial Altar in Beijing (June 2009)
58. Summer Palace, an Imperial Garden in Beijing (June 2009)
59. Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex (June 2009)
60. Borobudur Temple Compounds (July 2009)
61. Prambanan Temple Compounds (July 2009)
62. Sangiran Early Man Site (July 2009)
63. Historic Town of Sukhothai and Associated Historic Towns (July 2009)
64. Historic City of Ayutthaya (July 2009)
65. Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park (July 2009)
66. Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty (July 2010)
67. Hwaseong Fortress (July 2010)
68. Gyeongju Historic Areas (July 2010)
69. Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple (July 2010)
70. Changdeokgung Palace Complex (July 2010)
71. Jongmyo Shrine (July 2010)
72. Baroque Churches of the Philippines (July 2010)
73. Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras (July 2010)
74. Historic Town of Vigan (August 2010)
75. Bourges Cathedral (August 2010)
76. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (August 2010)
Recent trips:
Cruise from Florida to Mexico, Costa Rica and Panama in March 2007
Spain in August 2007
Banff in October 2007
England, France and Belgium in June-July 2008
China, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam in June-July 2009
I have also been to Cartagena but I was too young to remember anything so I don't count it as a visited site.
Recent Reviews Philip T.K.
Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France
Philip T.K. Canada - 17-May-09
I actually never planned to visit this WHS although it consists of so many sites that it is hard to miss on a trip to France. Last July, I saw the Saint-Jacques Tower (fortunately without the scaffolding described by Ian) on my first full day in Paris and I later visited the huge Amiens Cathedral (also a WHS in its own right). Unfortunately, I was not able to visit the Alyscamps cemetery while in Arles due to time constraints, but I have seen photos and it looks quite interesting.
Read OnPont du Gard
Philip T.K. Canada - 22-Jul-08
We visited this site in July 2008 from Avignon and the bus schedules has vastly changed. There are now over half a dozen buses a day leaving for the Pont du Gard so it is much more convenient for tourists. We took the 10:45 one there and took the 1:15 one back to Avignon, spending almost 2 hours (more than enough time for us) to view the site. It was worth the effort and best of all, it is free to enter.
Read OnLoire Valley
Philip T.K. Canada - 16-Jul-08
The best way to explore the "Val de Loire" is by private car and that's exactly what we did. Renting one from Paris, we spent a day and half exploring the valley. The road signs in France were excellent and it was much less of a hassle than we expected.
On the first afternoon, we visited Chambord which turned out to be my favorite chateau in the region. Surrounded by forest, it evokes images from childhood fairy tales. It is simply beautiful
Read OnSalamanca
Philip T.K. Canada - 01-May-05
Salamanca is most famous for its university, but it was its two cathedrals that impressed me the most. The interior of both, filled with tombs of old clergy and paintings, is nothing too special, but I would recommend the Ieronimus exhibition whose entrance is located at the side of the cathedral. It costs extra but is worth every penny. It allows you to go on top of the cathedrals and gives spectacular views of both the city and the cathedrals.
My father and I visited this WHS on our last day in Spain. In addition to the university and cathedrals, we also stopped by the Roman bridge (nothing spectacular) and visited the church of San Esteban with its beautiful cloisters. A cursory look at the Plaza Mayor was also made. We had not originally planned to go to Salamanca, but we are glad we did
Read OnSeville
Philip T.K. Canada - 01-May-05
The Seville Cathedral is supposed to be the world's largest; it's immense size is quite a sight. The interior is also impressive with its numerous chapels and tombs. The Spaniards claim to hold Christopher Columbus' remains at the cathedral although the Dominican Republic also claim to hold it. Nevertheless, his tomb at the cathedral is still beautiful with the four kings representing the kingdoms that make up present-day Spain carrying it. The Royal Chapel or Capilla Real housing several royal tombs is off-limits to tourists although I managed to peak through the curtains. Finally, the view from the top of the Giralda Tower aftering a tiring climb of 34 ramps is both breathtaking and rewarding.
Read OnProfile Data
- Name
- Philip T.K.
- Country
- Canada
- Most Impressive
- Angkor
- Proposal
- Historic Centre of Hanoi including the Temple of Literature
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