The Ancient Tea Horse Road that travels through southwest China's provinces of Yunnan and Sichuan and Tibet Autonomous Region, and goes further upto Bhutan, Nepal and India, linking China together with West Asia and West Africa for thousands of years, may join UNESCO's list of world cultural heritage sites in 2010, China News Service reported on Wednesday.

Spectators look at the micro models of horse caravan at a caravan museum in Lijiang, southwest China's Yunnan Province, June 16, 2009. A set of models describing China's Cha Ma Road, which literally means Tea Horse road, was on display here on Tuesday. The ancient Cha Ma Road linked the arid plains of Tibet with mountain valley communities of Yunnan Province.

The Chinese Ancient Tea Horse Road Research Center, set up on August 3, plans to apply for the 4,000-year-old trading route's addition to the list, and announced that it plans to study the cultural relics along the historic road, which played a similar role in trade as the Silk Road to the north.

As one of the most famous ancient international trade routes, the Ancient Tea Horse Road's great historical, archaeological and cultural value should be protected and its tourism potential should be developed. But many historic sites along the road are now endangered.

"Applying for World Heritage Status is conducive to protecting the road. We have an obligation to preserve these precious historical and cultural treasures for our offspring," said Yang Liangcai, former consultant for UNESCO and famous folk artist.

Along this unpaved and rugged ancient trading pathway, commodities like tea, salt, sugar, furs, and other local products had been traded between ancient China and the rest of the world.

Like the Silk Road, the road saw great ethnic migration and promoted exchanges in culture and religion.