1,000 hike at Shu Path to raise attention

More than 1,000 volunteers and tourists trekked along the Sword Gate Pass section of the historic Shu Path in Jian'ge county, Sichuan province, on Saturday.

"It happened to be China's first Cultural and Natural Heritage Day and people took to the path with the intention of arousing public attention to its protection and application for the UNESCO World Natural and Cultural Heritage status," said Gao Yihang, one of the volunteers.

One day earlier, the Sichuan World Heritage Application Office of the Sichuan Provincial Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development announced in Guangyuan, a city which administers Jian'ge, the text for the formal application had been completed.