

The famous Silk Road and Grand Canal in China were inscribed on the World Heritage List on Sunday after being approved by the World Heritage Committee in Doha, the capital of Qatar, Xinhua said.

The ancient Silk Road, extending 4,000 miles, acted as a route for trade from China to the Mediterranean Sea and opened up cultural, political and economic interactions between Asia and Europe as far back as 2,000 years ago. The site was approved after being jointly submitted by China, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan,

China’s Grand Canal, the longest artificial waterway in the world, was also inscribed on the list today. The 1,794-kilometer canal runs from Beijing to Hangzhou and has a history of stretching past 2,400 years.

According to SCMP, at least 30 cultural sites around the world were submitted to be included on the prestigious 981-strong list as the committee reviewed all candidates in the June 15-25 gathering in Doha. Qatar said that it would donate 10 million USD to protect world heritage sites in areas affected by disaster or conflicts.





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