The Silk Road is an extensive, interconnected network of trade routes across the Asian continent connecting eastern, southern and western Asia with the Mediterranean world, as well as North Africa and Europe. The Silk Road gets its name from the lucrative Chinese silk trade, a major reason for the connection of trade routes into an extensive trans-continental network.

The Xi’an government plans to inspect sites along the Silk Road next year as part of its plan to apply for UNESCO World Heritage status. Chen Guangshan, vice chairman of the Xi’an Municipal Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, made a preliminary inspection in Xi’an on Nov 17.

Xi’an has 14 related sites in total, among which Daming Palace and five other sites have been renovated in preparation for the application for World Heritage site status. Relevant archives also are being prepared as part of the application process.

By Xie Fang and Wang Gongyuan