Chinese tea merchants walk with their camels loaded with tea bricks as they pass by the Bell and Drum Tower during their trip through the Silk Road in Zhangye city, Northwest China's Gansu province. [Photo/IC]

7. Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor

This property is a 5,000 km section of the extensive Silk Roads network, stretching 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.

It was added into the list on June 22, 2014.