Table 2 The main geographical area of research (n = 434)

China

^★Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area (1992), Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area (1992), South China Karst (2007), Xinjiang Tianshan (2013), Mount Sanqingshan National Park (2008), Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas (2003)

^▲Old Town of Lijiang (1997), Ancient Villages in Southern Anhui—Xidi and Hongcun (2000), Historic Centre of Macao (2005), Kaiping Diaolou and Villages (2007), Cultural Landscape of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces (2013), West Lake Cultural Landscape of Hangzhou (2011), The Great Wall (1987), Fujian Tulou (2008)

●Mount Huangshan (1990), Mount Wuyi (1999)

Australia

^★Great Barrier Reef (1981), Wet Tropics of Queensland (1988), Greater Blue Mountains Area (2000), Ningaloo Coast (1982), Riversleigh/Naracoorte (1994), Fraser Island (1992)

^●Tasmanian Wilderness (1982)

Spain

^▲Historic Centre of Cordoba (1984), Alhambra, Generalife and Albayzín, Granada (1984), Cave of Altamira and Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain (1985), Historic City of Toledo (1986), Old Town of Cáceres (1986)

Malaysia

^★Kinabalu Park (2000)

^▲Melaka and George Town, Historic Cities of the Straits of Malacca (2008), Archaeological Heritage of the Lenggong Valley (2012)

Italy

^★The Dolomites (2009)

^▲Vineyard Landscape of Piedmont: Langhe-Roero and Monferrato (2014), South-Eastern Sicily (2002)

Korea

^★Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes (2007)

^▲Seowon, Korean Neo-Confucian Academies (2019), Historic Villages of Korea: Hahoe and Yangdong (2010), Changdeokgung Palace Complex (1997),Hwaseong Fortress (1997)

Cambodia

^▲Angkor (1992)

Japan

^★Ogasawara Islands (2011), Shiretoko (2005)

^▲Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range (2004), Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara (1998)

Vietnam

^★Ha Long Bay (1994), Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park (2003)

^▲Hoi An Ancient Town (1999)

UK

^★Dorset and East Devon Coast (2001)

^▲Old and New Towns of Edinburgh (1995)

Turkey

^▲City of Safranbolu (1994), Historic Areas of Istanbul (1985)

^●Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia (1985), Hierapolis-Pamukkale(1988)

India

^★Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area (2014), Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks (1988)

^▲Group of Monuments at Hampi (1986)

Laos

^▲Town of Luang Prabang (1995)

South Africa

^●Maloti-Drakensberg Park (2000)

Ecuador

^★Galápagos Islands (1978)

^▲City of Quito (1978), Historic Centre of Santa Ana de los Ríos de Cuenca (1999)