The Silk Road丝绸之路简介.pptVIP

The Silk Road The Silk Road A 10,000-li silver ribbon, starting at Chang’an (Xi’an today), the ancient capital of China, and ending at the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea, links up fields, deserts, grasslands, and mountains. This is the Silk Road famed in world history, the first thoroughfare that links up China with the West.? Silk Road’s history The Silk Road was first conceived during the Zhou and Qin dynasties. From 138--139B.C., Zhang Qian, outstanding Western Han diplomat and traveler, first “blazed a trail” in the West, and the Silk Road was formally inaugurated as China’s “national road” linking up the east and west. In 73 AD, Ban Zhao embarked on a mission to the western region with a 36-man retinue, ensuring the smooth operation of the Silk Road which had once been blocked by war Different Routes of the Silk Road The following three routes are actually one route before they reach Loulan, Xingjiang, that is from Xi’an---Lanzhou---the Hexi Corridor---Wuwei---Zhangye---Jiuquan---Dunhuang---Yumen Guan (Yang Guan)---Loulan. The north route runs from Loulan---Turfan---Hami---Urumqi---Yining---Yili--west to coast of the Caspian Sea. The middle route runs from Loulan---Kuche---Aksu---Kashi---west to Iran and to Rome along the coast of Mediterranean Sea. The south route runs from Loulan---Qiemo---Yutian---Shache---south to India and Southeast to the direction of Afghan. The Influence of the Silk Road The ancient Silk Road linked Chinese culture with that of India, Greece, Rome and Persian from one century to the other, carried the great Chinese inventions of silk, gunpowder, papermaking and printing to the West and brought Buddhism, Nestorianism, and Islam and their related arts and cultures into China. From time immemorial, the Silk Road has been a route of friendly intercourse between the Chinese and foreign people. The ancient Silk Road yields a wealth of world famous treasures. A series of passes, castles, grotto temples, courier stations, burial