On 22 June 2014, the World Heritage Committee inscribed a section of the Silk Roads network submitted by Kyrgyzstan, China and Kazakhstan on the World Heritage List. The Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor stretches 5,000 kilometres from Chang’an/Luoyang, the central capital of China in the Han and Tang Dynasties, to the Zhetysu  Region of Central Asia.  It took shape between the 2nd century BC and 1st century AD and remained in use until the 16th century, linking multiple civilizations, and facilitating far-reaching exchanges of activities in trade, religious beliefs, scientific knowledge, technological innovation,  cultural practices and the arts.

The World Heritage List inscription is a result of over ten years of extensive research by carried out by UNESCO, ICOMOS and UCL experts and will create significant opportunities for tourism development. In 2013, UNWTO and UNESCO launched a ground-breaking initiative to build closer collaboration between heritage and tourism stakeholders along the Silk Road. To support this, the ‘Roadmap for Development’ was developed to a achieve mutual goals for sustainable growth, community development, heritage management and conservation on the Silk Road Heritage Corridors.

Click here to learn more about UNWTO’s collaboration with UNESCO on the Silk Road Heritage Corridors including the ‘Roadmap for Development’

Click here to read the UNESCO news story on the Silk Road inscription on the World Heritage List