The Tian Shan is a large system of mountain ranges in Central Asia. The tallest mountain is Jengish Chokusu, at high. The eastern part of the ranges became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013. The western part in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan became a World Heritage Site in 2016. The ranges are along the border with China and Kyrgyzstan, and stretches towards the west. The ancient North Silk Road used to go next to the mountain range for people to travel between East Asia and the Middle East. They would follow the mountain range when travelling through the Taklamakan Desert.