The Silk Road is the most well-known
ancient trading route as well as cultural exchange route between East
and West. It was only in 1870s that the geographer, Ferdinand von Richthofen
gave the name by which we now know as the Silk Road.
The routes of the Silk Road The Silk Road was from Chang’an westwards. It was through Lanzhou, Tianshui, Zhangye, Jiuquan along the Hexi Corridor. Then it reached the Jiayuguan Pass, which is an important military pass on the Great Wall. After reaching at Dunhuang, the first key point on the Silk Road, it split into three different routes in Xinjiang. The southern route ran west along the northern foot of Kunlun Mountains, via Ruoqiang, Hetian, then reached Kashgar, another key point on the Silk Road, afterwards went over the Pamirs, and reached India or passed through Afghanistan and Central Asia to reach the coast of the Mediterranean Sea or Arabia. The central route meandered west along the southern foot of the Tianshan Mountains then crossed the Pamirs and led to Mari in Russia. The northern route rambled along the northern foot of the Tianshan Mountains, starting at Hami wound through Turpan, Urumqi, westward reached the Ili River Valley, and led to area as near the Black Sea. The three routes of the Silk Road ran between mountain ranges and edges of deserts, going through oases inhabited by ancient tribes. These tribes also opened some branch roads across mountain passes to join the three routes together. The Origin of the Silk Road In 138BC Hanwudi sent Zhang Qian for the political contact with Yuezhi (a nomadic tribe) in order to ally to attract Huns. Yuezhi was defeated by their enemy the Huns(an ancient nomadic tribe who lived in today’s northwest part of China.) and driven to today’s Northern Afghanistan. Zhang Qian with a delegation of 100 people set out from Chang'an to travel westward. On the way to the west regions, he was captured and detained for 10 years by the Huns. Due to the will of complete his mission, one day he seized a chance and escaped with other colleges. He continued the journey westwards. Finally in 128 BC, Zhang Qian reached Yuezhi. However he was disappointed that Yuezhi was living in peace and well settled in the various oases of Central Asia and had no longer interested in fighting against Xiongnu. So Zhang Qian had to return journey. But On his way back he was captured by Xiongnu again. Finally in 126 BC he was back to Chang’an . After 13 years’ journey, only one companion and Zhang Qian successfully came back to Chang’an. Although Zhang Qian’s political mission was failed. He obtained very valuable information about the people who lived in western part of China and central Asia. That laid the foundation for the opening through the Silk Road in the Han Dynasty. With the economy developing in the Han Dynasty and the declining of the Huns, China had the ability to Control the vast area of western regions. Han Dynasty even extended the Great Wall westwards in the Gobi desert to protect the ancient trade route. Roman’s fanaticism for silk made the silk business much profitable thus stimulated the development of the Silk Road. In 73AD, Ban Chao was sent by Han Emperor to West Regions on diplomatic mission again. The relationship between the West Regions and the Han Dynasty was strengthened. The trading on the Silk Road became prosperous again. The Peak of the Silk Road The fall of the Han dynasty in the early 3rd century once caused Silk Road trade to decline. However, the rise of the Tang dynasty in the 7th century revived the business on Silk Road. The powerful military power, stable social life, the thriving economy and favorable trading policy of the Tang Dynasty made Silk Road reach its peak on its development by the mid 8th century. The Decline of the Silk Road By 760 AD, during the Tang Dynasty, trade along the Silk Road had declined. It revived tremendously under the Song Dynasty in the eleventh and twelfth centuries when China became largely dependent on its silk trade. In addition, trade to Central and Western Asia as well as Europe recovered for a period of time from 1276-1368 under the Yuan Dynasty when the Mongols controlled China. The Chinese traded silk for medicines, perfumes, and precious stones. As overland trade became increasingly dangerous, and overseas trade became more popular, trade along the Silk Road declined. The Significance of the Silk Road The Silk Road really played an important role in Chinese history. It was not only a trade route but also a cultural exchange route. It had great influence on civilization of East and West. Buddhism was introduced in China via the Silk Road in 1st Century AD and soon it was accepted by Chinese and well spread out. In the Tang Dynasty, Islam, Christianity, Zoroastrianism were introduced in China. Costumes, dance, music instruments, acrobats, and arts from Central Asia came to China via the Silk Road and they influenced on Chinese culture. Fruits such as walnut, cucumber, pepper, and carrot were also introduced from Central Asia. Chinese used silk to trade perfume, glass ware, amber, ivory, gem, silver, and gold. The technology of making sugar was introduced from India. Chinese sericulture, technology of paper-making, printing, compass, and gunpowder were introduced to Arab countries and Europe through business people on the Silk Road. That really influenced the world civilization and history. To some extent, the Silk Road was also an information road. Travel along the ancient Silk Road Xi’an is the starting point of the ancient Silk Road. It is famous for the Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Huaqing Hot Spring, Xi’an Old City Wall and Tang Emperors’ Tombs. Lanzhou City is famous for Gansu Provincial Museum, Bingling Thousand Buddha Caves and Labrang Monastery. Gansu Provincial Museum houses collections of various color-painted potteries of Neolithic Age and treasures of ancient grottoes. In addition, it also displayed precious linen and silk fabrics, books, wooden and bronze vessels, a great many bamboo slips for writing from the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220), frescos and so many other items. The world-famous bronze Galloping Horse's Hoof Stepped on a Flying Swallow, also named as Galloping Horse, is a treasure of Gansu Provincial Museum. Excavated in 1969 in Wuwei County, Gansu Province, the piece depicts a vigorous horse with long tail waving and head rising bird. Three hooves of the galloping horse are in air and the right-back hoof steps on the back of a small flying bird. The bird turns in surprise to look at the big creature on its back. At the same moment, the horse's head also turns slightly in attempt to know what has happened. The whole statue is honored as the mysterious and rare treasure in the history of Chinese ancient sculpture art.
Bingling Thousand Buddha Caves were built in the Western Jin Dynasty (265-316). In the following dynasties, the caves had been excavated many times. There are 694 stone statues, 82 clay sculptures and some 900 square meters of murals, which are all well preserved. Famous for its stone sculptures, Bingling Thousand Temple Caves stretches about 200 meters (about 600 feet) on the west cliff in Dasi Gully. Among the caves, the main characters are Sakyamuni, Kwan-yin, Amitayus Buddha, Maitreya Buddha, and other Buddhas. With elegant postures, flying robes and ribbons, the statues are life-like. Labrang Monastery is
a Tibetan Buddhist temple. It boasts tens of thousands of statues of Buddha
made of gold, silver, copper, and aluminum. There are statues with ivory,
sandalwood, jade, crystal and clay as the basic materials. These Buddha
statues are all lifelike with kind-looking faces, which give you a real
enjoyment of beauty. In addition, the monastery possesses many Buddha
hats and many Buddhist treasures adorned with pearls, jadeite, agate and
diamonds. The Labrang Monastery holds seven large-scale summon ceremonies
a year, among which the Summons Ceremony in the first lunar month and
the Buddhist Doctrine Explaining Ritual in the seventh lunar month are
the grandest ones.
Dunhuang was an important
point on the Silk Road. It has many historic relics. Mogao Caves, Echoing-Sand
Mountain and Crescent Spring are most popular tourist attractions.The
Mogao Grottoes, twenty-five kilometers southeast of Dunhuang City, contain
the largest and richest treasure of stone carvings and mural paintings
in China. Carved out along a 1,500-meter precipice, the 492 grottoes stretch
from south to north on the eastern slope of Echoing-Sand Mountain (Mingshashan)
and are divided into five levels. They contain 45,000 square meters of
murals 2,415 painted statues, and five wooden structures. The statues
were all made of clay and colored with paint. Themes of the murals range
fro Buddha portraits and Buddhist stories to fairy tales and pictures
of worshippers.
The Crescent Spring lies
6 kilometers south of Dunhuang city, and surrounded by the Echoing-Sand
Mountain, Crescent Spring can be called a natural wonder in the Gobi Desert.
It is 218 meters from west to east, about 54 meters from north to south
and 5 meters deep on an average. It turns along the mountain, wonderfully
existing with the Ming Sha Mountain like twins. "From the early beginning
sands do not fill the spring while the latter never dries". The dunes
"recovers next day after night wind sweeping", while "the
spring mirrors the moon without dust". Having been lying among these
sand dunes for thousands of years, although given many surprise attacks
by sandstorms, Crescent Spring still gurgles clear, and still remains
worthy as the first spring in the desert.
Red Hill is a symbol
of Urumqi, owing to its uniqueness. The body of the mountain, made up
of aubergine rock, has a reddish brown color, hence, the name Red Hill.
The hill is 1.5km long and 1km wide from east to west. Now it is a popular
park in Urumqi.
The Ancient City of Gaochang
is 46 kilometers southeast of Turpan near the 'Flaming Mountains'. Built
in the first century B.C., it used to be a garrison town and later became
a key point along the ancient Silk Road. The practice of Buddhism led
to the establishment of many monasteries and temples. In the ninth century,
the Uigur established the Kharakhoja Kingdom here. The city was burnt
down around the 14th century, during a period of warfare that lasted 40
years. The ruins originally consisted of three parts: the inner and outer
cities, and a palace complex. The inner city is a 3-kilometer long rectangle,
of which the western and eastern sections are well preserved. Several
earthen platforms are still visible. There are two temple remains worth
a visit.
The tour in Kashgar
may include the most thee popular places such as Abakh Khoja Tomb, Id
Kah Mosque and the East Gate Bazaar.
The Id Kah Mosque is
located on the central square in Kashgar City. As the biggest mosque in
China, it is a group of old Islamic constructions with strong ethnic style
and religious features. The present Id Kah Mosque was built in 1442 as
a very small structure. Several renovations and enlargements have created
it with today's scale and style. The whole complex occupies 16,800 square
meters and consists of the courtyard, the Hall of Prayer, and the gate
tower and as well as some other attached structures. Every day thousands
of worshippers come here to pray. Every Friday afternoon around 5000 Muslims
gather here to worship. During religious festivals all the Muslims tens
of thousand Muslims come to this sacred place to celebrate. At prayer
time, the mosque, the square, the streets and the roads all around are
full of piously kneeling Muslims. Afterwards, all the people get together
on the square in front of the Id Kah Mosque and dance to show their happiness. Mobile:(+86-1350 110 3837) Wechat:(13501103837) E-mail: chinasilkrug@msn.com |