Being added to UNESCO's "World Heritage List" means a lot to any location as such an honor shows that the place has outstanding importance to the common heritage of humankind. Therefore, one can only imagine how difficult it is to be recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A small town in southern France is home to two World Heritage Sites. An even more surprising fact is that the two World Heritage sites were awarded over consecutive years in 1996 and 1997. The town we are referring to, is the town of Carcassonne, located along the Canal du Midi in southern France, between Toulouse and Montpellier. The famous author of “Carmen”, Prosper Mérimée (1803-1870) once wrote down his memory of Carcassonne in the prose "The South of France": "Barriers, towers, bastions, battlements, watchtowers, as well as vineyards, soothing rivers and tree-lined roads. It is truly magical and extremely romantic..." Prospey Mérimée, author of the famous opera, Carmen. As a former member of the "National Historical Relics" and "Religious Art and Architecture Committee" of the French Ministry of Culture, he had made tremendous contributions towards the restoration of the ancient city. Over the centuries, countless knights, swordsmen and archers had spilled blood here and the famous battles which had altered the course of history had left their marks on Carcassonne. Wars had also transformed the castle into an impregnable gigantic fortress. River Aude had served as the moat in ancient times and Pont Vieux, the ancient retractable bridge. The imposing castle towers silently over the tourists who came to experience its grandeur. Today, Carcassonne has a well-preserved history of 2,600 years. In 1996 and 1997, the Canal du Midi and the medieval fortress were successfully added to the list of World Heritage Sites, making Carcassonne a historical gem deserving of global attention. Origin of the name The name, Carcassonne, can be traced back to a 9th century legend which has it that the city was under siege and armies on both sides were running out of food. The commander of the city, Carcas, came up with a ruse to weaken the morale of the enemy. She fed the remaining grain in the city to a pig and threw the pig from a tower. When the pig's belly burst and the enemy discovered that the pig was fully-fed with grain. They mistakenly thought that there was still a lot of food supply in the city and decided to abandon the siege. As the enemy was retreating, Mrs. Carca ordered the joyous ringing of bells (sonner) to signify peace. Therefore, the city became to be known as Carcassonne, a symbol of victory and peace. Townscape The castle has double walls and 26 arched towers, forming an airtight defense network. Hidden behind the 2-meter thick Gothic city walls, are massive public facilities such as palaces, churches, plazas, bazaars, houses and streets. The 3km-long main road stretches out over a completely self-sufficient city. From the highest tower, one can even see the snow-capped Pyrenees in the distance. The inner city is packed with scenes of daily life. Blacksmiths, bakers and tailors have kept their shops the same way they were hundreds of years ago. Despite being a World Cultural Heritage, Carcassonne remains friendly and welcoming. Although the time-honored buildings look out of place with the modern tourists, life inside and outside the castle never seemed to have changed its true nature of peace and harmony. Canal du Midi Canal du Midi was built during the heyday of the 17th century French kingdom. It connected the Mediterranean Sea directly with the Atlantic Ocean and allowed the French monarchy to bypass the Strait of Gibraltar to avoid being bound by Spain, the other European power at that time. Nowadays, merchant ships are rarely seen on the Canal du Midi. In their places are tourist barges for sightseeing. However, after passing the ship lock, one can experience complete tranquility especially in the Carcassonne section. Here, it is extremely quiet and even the passing cruise ships will shut off their engine. Tourists usually disembark here to visit the new city, alleys, fountains, stone houses, cathedrals, museums, tree-lined plazas, open air markets etc... all of which are unique to southern France. Medieval City (Cité Médiévale) Carcassonne's medieval city, Cité Médiévale, was built on the site of a former ancient Roman fort. In the 13th century, it became the center of the fight between the Crusaders and the Albigeois. After the destruction of the outskirts of the ancient city, King Saint Louis allowed residents to build a new fortified village called the Bastide Saint Louis in 1245. The castle has a moat and double walls. The outer wall is in the Gothic-style while the inner wall is in the Gallo-Roman-style. Spread out along both walls are a total of 52 battlement towers (or watchtowers). Each tower had been named after its function, a significant event or its geographical location. The sturdy defense encirclement stretches about 3 km, forming an easily defensible yet impregnable fortress. Walking outwards from the central square, one can easily reach the mysterious "City within the city" - Chateau Comtal. Built in the 12th century as the original residence of Count Troncalve, Chateau Comtal was converted into a fort in 1226 when Carcassonne came under the rule of the French monarchy. After Saint Louis took power, he dug a wide moat outside the Chateau, built a bridge and a semicircular wall to transform Chateau Comtal into a defensive inner fort, hence earning it the name "City within the city. " Today, 80 descendants of the original residents continue to live within the castle and remain loyal to their ancestors' businesses. The narrow streets of the city are lined with small shops, restaurants, cafes, and a few hotels. Many streets and houses have pictures or photographs of their original appearances on display, reflecting the pride of the people in their history. The Chinese saying goes, "calm clouds are reflected in pools day after day, but stars have moved and autumns have gone by". Even if time has taken away the flesh and blood of heroes, it cannot take away their legends. These stories have been handed down and the locals are waiting to tell you about them.