A project has been launched in Xinjiang to rescue key relics along the Silk Road, and boost its chances of being listed as a World Heritage site.

The restoration will cost 400 million yuan over five years.

UNESCO has investigated the feasibility for Silk Road's World Heritage application.

It was put forward by the governments of China and other countries as a way to draw worldwide attention to the area.

The 7000-kilometer-long Silk Road is an ancient trading route from China to the Mediterranean and a meeting place for many different cultures including Han Chinese, Buddhism and Islam.

(CRI.com December 22, 2004)