the silk road, or silk road for short. It refers to the land passage opened by Zhang Qian in the Western Han Dynasty (22-138 BC), starting from Chang 'an (now Xi 'an), passing through Gansu and Xinjiang to Central Asia and West Asia, and connecting Mediterranean countries (this road is also called the "Northwest Silk Road" to distinguish the other two traffic routes named "Silk Road" in the future). Because silk products have the greatest influence on the goods transported by this road west, it got this name (and a lot of silk was shipped by us in China). Its basic trend is set in the Han Dynasty, including three routes: South Road, Middle Road and North Road. The Silk Road is a historically trans-Eurasian trade transportation line, which has historically promoted friendly exchanges between Europe, Asia, Africa and China. China is the hometown of silk, and in the trade through this route, silk is the most representative commodity exported by China. In the second half of 19th century, Richthofen, a German geographer, called this land transportation route "Silk Road". Since then, historians at home and abroad have agreed with this statement, which is still in use today. After Zhang Qian passed through the western regions, it officially opened this land passage from China to Europe and Africa. This road starts from Chang 'an, the capital of the Western Han Dynasty, passes through the Hexi Corridor, and then divides into two routes: one is from Yangguan, passes through Shanshan, goes west along the northern foot of Kunlun Mountain, passes through shache, passes through the green ridge in the west, leaves Dayue's family, goes to rest in peace, and passes through Plow (jiān, now Alexandria, Egypt, annexed by the Roman Empire in 3 BC) in the west, or enters the body from Dayue's south. The other one goes out of Yumenguan Pass, passes through the former country of Cheshi, goes west along the southern foot of Tianshan Mountain, goes out of Shule, crosses the green ridge in the west, crosses Dawan, and reaches Kangju and Yancai (nomadic in the northwest of Kangju in the Western Han Dynasty, that is, the grassland in the northern Caspian Sea, and in the Eastern Han Dynasty, it belongs to Kangju). The Silk Road in a broad sense refers to the long-distance commercial, trade and cultural exchange routes that have been formed one after another since ancient times and spread all over Eurasia, even including North Africa and East Africa. In addition to the above routes, it also includes the Maritime Silk Road, which was formed in the Southern and Northern Dynasties and played a great role in the late Ming Dynasty, and the Southern Silk Road, which appeared at the same time as the Northwest Silk Road and replaced the Northwest Silk Road as a communication channel on the road at the end of Yuan Dynasty. The word "die Seidenstrasse" originated from China published by German geographer Ferdinand von Richthofen)1877, and is sometimes referred to as Silk Road for short. Although the Silk Road is the product of the promotion of economic and trade development by all countries along the route, many people believe that Zhang Qian in China opened a new era of Sino-foreign exchanges twice. And successfully opened the last bead curtain between East and West. Since then, this route has been stepped out as a "national road", and ambassadors and businessmen from various countries have been coming and going in an endless stream along the road opened in Zhang Qian. From princes and nobles to beggars and prisoners, they all left their footprints on this road. This east-west passage closely links the Central Plains and the Western Regions with Arabia and the Persian Gulf. After centuries of continuous efforts, the Silk Road extended westward to the Mediterranean Sea. In a broad sense, the eastern section of the Silk Road has reached South Korea and Japan, and the western section has reached France and the Netherlands. Italy and Egypt can also be reached by sea, which has become a road of friendship for economic and cultural exchanges between Asia, Europe and Africa.

the route of the silk road

generally, the silk road can be divided into three sections, and each section can be divided into three routes: north, south and central. Eastern section: from Chang 'an to Yumenguan and Yangguan. Middle section (opened in Han Dynasty): from Yumenguan and Yangguan to Congling. Western section (opened in Han Dynasty): From Congling to the west through Central Asia, West Asia and Europe. (Opened in the Tang Dynasty) The following are the names of important cities on various sections of the Silk Road (ancient place names in brackets). The safety and convenience of crossing Liupan Mountain and crossing the Yellow River are considered in the selection of routes in the eastern section. The third line starts from Chang 'an, joins Wuwei and Zhangye, and then goes along Hexi Corridor to Dunhuang. Northern Line: The route from Jingchuan, Guyuan and Jingyuan to Wuwei is the shortest, but it is not easy to supply water along the way. South Line: From Fengxiang, Tianshui, Longxi, Linxia, Ledu, Xining to Zhangye, but the road is long. Midline: From Jingchuan to Pingliang, Huining and Lanzhou to Wuwei, the distance and supply are moderate. Xi 'an (Chang 'an): Xumishan Grottoes, Maijishan Grottoes, Bingling Temple Grottoes Wuwei (Liangzhou) Zhangye (Ganzhou) Jiuquan (Suzhou) Dunhuang (Shazhou): Mogao Grottoes and Yulin Grottoes In the 1th century A.D., the Northern Song government opened a "Qinghai Road" from Tianshui to the Western Regions to bypass the territory of Xixia. It became a new trade route after the Song Dynasty. Caravans traveling to and from the Silk Road in the middle section of Solkuri Basin in Fuchengcheng, Xining, Tianshui. The middle part is mainly the routes in the western regions, which change with the changes of oases and deserts. There are many forks and branches in the middle of the third line, especially in the fourth town of Anxi (established in 64). South Road (also known as Khotan Road): It starts from Yangguan in the east, along the southern edge of Taklimakan Desert, and passes through Ruoqiang (Shanshan), Hotan (Khotan), shache, etc. to Congling. Yangguan Ruoqiang (Shanshan) and Qiemoniya (Jingjue) were one of the thirty-six western regions in the Western Han Dynasty. Hotan (Yutian) Middle Road: It starts from Yumenguan, along the northern edge of Taklimakan Desert, and passes through Lop Nur (Loulan), Turpan (Che Shi, Gaochang), Yanqi (Yuli), Kuqa (Kucha), Aksu (Gumo) and Kashi (Shule) to fergana valley (Dawan). Yumenguan Loulan (merged by Shanshan and now belongs to Ruoqiang County, Xinjiang) Turpan (Gaochang): Gaochang Old Town, Yaerhu Old Town, Baizi Creek Thousand Buddha Cave Yanqi (Yuli) Kuche (Qiuci): Kizil Thousand Buddha Cave, Kumutula Thousand Buddha Cave Aksu (Gumo) Kashi (Shule) North. Hami, the waterway is rich in Hami melon Urumqi, and the palindrome meaning is interpreted as the western section of the beautiful grassland Yining (Ili). From the west of Congling to Europe, it is the western section of the Silk Road, and its north, south and middle lines are connected with the middle line respectively. The route from Caspian Sea to Constantinople was opened in the middle of Tang Dynasty. Northern Line: Along the northern shore of Aral Sea, Caspian Sea and Black Sea, it passes through broken leaves, Viroth, astrakhan (Itil) and other places to Istanbul (Constantinople). Urumqi Almaty (Kazakhstan) dzhambul City (Viroth, now Kazakhstan City) Tokmak (Broken Leaf, now Kyrgyzstan City) Sarai (Russia) Istanbul, sakr (Constantinople, now Turkey City) Central Line: From Kashgar, take fergana valley, Samarkand, Bukhara and Mashhad (Iran) to join the southern line. Kashgar or Kashgar Peshawar: Khala Horin Avenue Kabul Bamiyan: The famous Bamiyan Buddha was destroyed by the Taliban in 21. South Line: From Pamir Mountain, it can enter Pakistan and India from Kashmir, and also travel to Europe from Peshawar, Kabul, Mashhad, Baghdad and Damascus. Mashhad (Iranian) Sabze Valh Hecatompylos (Fandou, and Xie) may be located between the present-day Iranda Mugan and Shahrud. ) Tehran Hamadan Kerman sahan Bakubai (Iraq) Baghdad Abu Hareb Fallujah: Follow the Euphrates River to Aleppo. Ramadi Alipo (Syrian) Damascus adana (Turkish) konya Antioch bursa Constantinople (Istanbul) In addition, there are the Southern Silk Road, which mainly communicates with South Asia, and the Maritime Silk Road, which runs along the coastal road.

historical development

before the 1st century BC, the horse statues in ancient times were about the late Han dynasty. As early as ancient times, although human beings faced unimaginable natural and dangerous challenges, things in Eurasia were not as isolated as many people imagined. On the grasslands in the north of the Nile River Basin, the Two Rivers Basin, the Indus River Basin and the Yellow River Basin, there is a grassland road that is generally connected by many discontinuous small-scale trade routes. This has been confirmed by many archaeological discoveries along the way. This road is the prototype of the earliest Silk Road. In the early Silk Road, silk was not the main trading material. Around the 15th century BC, China merchants had already entered and exited the edge of Taklimakan Desert, bought Hetian jade stone produced in present Xinjiang, and sold seashells and other coastal specialties to conduct small-scale trade with Central Asia. Thoroughbred horses and other animals suitable for long-distance transportation are also being used by people, making large-scale trade and cultural exchanges possible. For example, the thirsty, drought-tolerant and hungry dromedary camel, which is often used in Arabia, was used for business travel and transportation in the 11th century BC. The nomadic people scattered in Eurasia are said to have started raising horses around the 41st century BC. The two-humped camel will soon be used in business travel. In addition, the hinterland of Eurasia is a vast grassland and fertile land, which can settle down anytime and anywhere for nomadic people and livestock transported by caravans and replenish water, food and fuel nearby. In this way, a caravan, caravan or army can travel for a long, lasting and long distance without the great powers along the route noticing their existence or inspiring hostility. The initial development of nephrite from Xinjiang was discovered in the archaeological study of the tomb of the spouse of Shang emperor Wu Ding. This shows that at least in the 13th century BC, China began to conduct business with the western regions and even further regions. According to Guo Pu, a Jin Dynasty man, in the biography of Mu Tianzi, in 963, Zhou Muwang took silk, gold and silver valuables westward to the Caspian Sea coast and brought Hetian jade back to China. Although the truth of this statement is still inconclusive, some silk products from this period have indeed been unearthed in archaeology along the Silk Road. During the Warring States Period in China, there was a considerable scale of foreign economic exchanges in the Central Plains. A conversation between Su Li and King Zhao Huiwen was recorded in Historical Records of Zhao Family: "If horses and dogs don't go down to the east, the jade in Kunshan won't come out, and the three treasures are not owned by the king." Su Li explained this point from the side by threatening King Zhao Huiwen with the wealth obtained by Zhao State through foreign trade: because people believe that "the jade in Kunshan" is nephrite produced at the foot of Kunlun Mountain, while Hu dogs are produced in Central Asia and West Asia. With the opening of the Hexi Corridor around the 5th century BC, China's business exchanges with the West were promoted, and countries in the western regions such as Shanshan and Qiuci gradually appeared in this period. At that time, "Seres" had appeared in European countries, which originated from the Greek language "Si" and changed from the sound of "Si" in Chinese. )-the name of China. This small-scale trade exchange shows that there was a long-term trade exchange between the East and the West in various ways before the Han Dynasty. Lapis lazuli is one of the important commodities on the early Silk Road, and now it is also an important gem. Not only silk, but also another famous commodity on the Silk Road, lapis lazuli, which is produced in Badak Mountain in Afghanistan today, began to appear in China, India and Egypt as early as the 31st century BC-which means that the business trade in Central Asia began earlier than the birth of some countries in this region. About 1 years later, the lapis lazuli trade began to spread to Harappa, India. Later, it became one of the seven treasures of Buddhism. As one of the earliest civilizations in the world, many archaeological discoveries prove that Egyptians began to engage in trade in North Africa, the Mediterranean and West Asia a long time ago. It is believed that the Egyptians had built ships in the 14th century. In Egypt, lapis lazuli, which was produced in Afghanistan more than 5, years ago, was discovered, indicating that the Egyptians had begun to trade on a certain scale along the road known as the Silk Road at that time. Some people think that fragments of silk remains have been found around 17, which means that Egypt may have had indirect trade with China at least before 17. However, shortly thereafter, the status of silk in Egypt plummeted and disappeared in the history books for a long time. At the same time, it is a very controversial topic whether these pre-11th century silks appeared in sericulture technology in China or were "wild silks" from the Mediterranean coast or the Middle East. Under the rule of Darius I (521-485 BC), the Achaemenid emperor who unified Babylon and Persia, Persia, which was expanding everywhere, established a regional power in Central and West Asia. Historical records show that the emperor loved the fresh fish produced in the Aegean Sea and the water in his hometown of Parthia. For this reason, Darius established a "Persian Imperial Road" connecting Susa (located in the lower reaches of the Tigris River), the capital of the rest empire, to the Buddhist temple in Asia Minor and all parts of the country. This imperial road, which was only used by the royal family, set up post stations in various sections along the route, and everything needed by the royal family was sent to the capital in the first time through this road, and then the emperor's instructions were spread to the whole country of Persia. According to the efficiency of the Imperial Road, a person who sends an express letter to Darius can send it to the capital in only 9 days, while the same distance takes 3 months for ordinary people. On the one hand, the use of such an ancient national road throughout the country has strengthened the central government's rule over various places, and on the other hand, it has directly promoted the business activities in this area. In Alexandria, he established his great empire across Europe, Asia and Africa (some scholars believe that this is the "Li Xuan" recorded in China's ancient books, and pelliot's "The Plow is the Egyptian city of Alexandria", see Feng Chengjun's translation of Textual Research on the History and Geography of the South China Sea in the Western Regions (Volume II), Volume VII, Commercial Press, 1995. ), his successor Ptolemy I Soter finally took control of Egypt in the first 323 years. The Greeks began to actively promote the trade activities between Asia Minor, India and East Africa through the ports under the jurisdiction of Greece. On land, the Greeks were also very active in the trade field. The prosperous economy and trade between Europe and Asia in this period was not only the achievement of the Greeks, but also the Arabs in Arabian Peninsula and Central Asia, especially the Na Ba Tethys (destroyed by the Roman Empire in the first 16 years) played an important role in the trade of Central Asia. The soldier on this animal skin mural may be Greek, but some people think that it is a soldier from the western regions who appeared after being influenced by Greek culture. It is presumed that the painting date is from the 3rd century to the 2nd century. The first step of the Greeks was to use the expansion of the empire in Central Asia and even in the East to open up and control the overland Silk Road between the East and the West. The eastern border of the empire may have reached Dayuan country (now Fergana, Kyrgyzstan)-now the west of Xinjiang Province, China. Nowadays, people have discovered the city of Kuzhan, which was established by Alexander the Great in 329 years ago (the Greek people call it "the city of Alexandria in the extreme east", that is, the farthest point of Alexander's eastward expedition). For the next 3 years, the Greeks maintained the rule of this huge empire in Asia. Oti Dehms, the general of Seleucid (see the list of countries that no longer exist), became independent according to Daxia and Sogdian. He and his son Dmitry (who died in 167 BC) expanded their territory to the surrounding Serb areas, rest and Dawan. Continue to expand westward along Alexander's past path. During the reign of King Oti Dehms (23-2 BC), the territory reached its acme: the land controlled by Daxia not only surpassed the repeated negligence, but there was evidence that their reconnaissance team had reached Kashgar about 2 years ago, which was unprecedented.