Gallery: Phallic formation makes UNESCO World Heritage list

There's plenty for lovers of history and travel to cheer about as UNESCO anointed new World Heritage sites over the weekend and today, five of which are in Asia. From China’s Danxia region (home to the all-natural phallic formation pictured left) to a 19th century astronomical observatory in India, pictures of these sites inspire feelings that swing from incredulity to awe.

Apart from China’s Danxia and India’s Jantar Mantar observatory, other freshly listed sites include the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long-Hanoi in Vietnam, the historic villages of Hahoe and Yangdong in South Korea, and monuments in China’s Dengfeng.

The UNESCO meeting for approving sites ends tomorrow, so we might yet see more sites popping up on the list.

For more pictures and details, click on the gallery button on the left.

Read about Thailand and Cambodia's recent spat over World Heritage Site Preah Vihear Temple.