Tibetan antelopes at the Kekexili Nature Reserve. [file photo]

Qinghai plans to push forward the Kekexili Nature Reserve's application for world natural heritage, according to a recent Xinhua report.

Jia Yingzhong, director of the Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of Qinghai province, said that Qinghai has started work on an application for UNESCO world natural heritage status in late 2014. In 2015 Kekexili is expected be included on China's tentative list of world heritage sites. Qinghai plans to complete all preparatory work in 2017 for the vote on its application at the annual meeting of the World Heritage Committee.

Kekexili, also known as Hoh Xil, in the hinterland of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, covers 45,000-sq km with an average altitude of 4,600 meters. It is known as China's largest area of uninhabited land. A paradise for wild animals, it is home to several endangered species, including the Tibetan antelope.