The Grand Canal and Silk Road in China were listed in the Doha’s World Heritage Sites on Sunday.

The application for inclusion of some parts of the famous ancient Silk Road has been jointly submitted by Kyrgyzstan, China and Kazakhstan.

About 2,000 years ago, the corridor has served cultural and trading exchanges between Europe and Asia.

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The application listed 33 historic sites with 22 coming from China. Kazakhstan listed eight sites while Kyrgyzstan listed three. This was the first time that China cooperated with other nations to get hold of a spot in the World Heritage Sites.

The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) approved the application during a meeting in Doha, Qatar.

The secretary general of the delegation from China, Du Yue, said that the approval of the nomination would boost cultural ties between China, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Du said that the three countries would work closely to protect and pass the heritage of the ancient Silk Road to future generations.

UNESCO also listed China’s Grand Canal in the World Heritage List during a meeting held on Sunday. At Sunday's session, UNESCO also included the Grand Canal, with a history of more than 2,400 years, in the World Heritage list.

The Grand Canal in China is the longest artificial waterway in the world running from Beijing to Hangzhou. Those who attended the UNESCO meeting said that the addition of the 1,794 kilometer canal has improved the World Heritage list. Furthermore, participants said that the artificial waterway proved the diligence and the wisdom of the people in China.

The World Heritage Committee’s 38th session was launched last June 15. The 9-day meeting will continue until June 25, Wednesday. UNESCO is responsible in overseeing and granting World Heritage status to sites that have significant cultural and natural impact worldwide.

TagsUNESCO, Silk Road, Grand Canal, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan