TheSilkRoadTheSilkRoadA10,000-lisilverribbon,startingatChang’an(Xi’antoday),theancientcapitalofChina,andendingattheeasternshoreoftheMediterraneanSea,linksupfields,deserts,grasslands,andmountains.ThisistheSilkRoadfamedinworldhistory,thefirstthoroughfarethatlinksupChinawiththeWest.SilkRoad’shistoryTheSilkRoadwasfirstconceivedduringtheZhouandQindynasties.From138--139B.C.,ZhangQian,outstandingWesternHandiplomatandtraveler,first“blazedatrail”intheWest,andtheSilkRoadwasformallyinauguratedasChina’s“nationalroad”linkinguptheeastandwest.In73AD,BanZhaoembarkedonamissiontothewesternregionwitha36-manretinue,ensuringthesmoothoperationoftheSilkRoadwhichhadoncebeenblockedbywarDifferentRoutesoftheSilkRoadThefollowingthreeroutesareactuallyoneroutebeforetheyreachLoulan,Xingjiang,thatisfromXi’an---Lanzhou---theHexiCorridor---Wuwei---Zhangye---Jiuquan---Dunhuang---YumenGuan(YangGuan)---Loulan.ThenorthrouterunsfromLoulan---Turfan---Hami---Urumqi---Yining---Yili--westtocoastoftheCaspianSea.ThemiddlerouterunsfromLoulan---Kuche---Aksu---Kashi---westtoIranandtoRomealongthecoastofMediterraneanSea.ThesouthrouterunsfromLoulan---Qiemo---Yutian---Shache---southtoIndiaandSoutheasttothedirectionofAfghan.TheInfluenceoftheSilkRoadTheancientSilkRoadlinkedChineseculturewiththatofIndia,Greece,RomeandPersianfromonecenturytotheother,carriedthegreatChineseinventionsofsilk,gunpowder,papermakingandprintingtotheWestandbroughtBuddhism,Nestorianism,andIslamandtheirrelatedartsandculturesintoChina.Fromtimeimmemorial,theSilkRoadhasbeenarouteoffriendlyintercoursebetweentheChineseandforeignpeople.TheancientSilkRoadyieldsawealthofworldfamoustreasures.Aseriesofpasses,castles,grottotemples,courierstations,burialsitesandbeacontowersshinewithbrilliance.Nowadays,theSilkRoadbecomesafamoustouringroute.Xi’anMoKaoGrottoatDunhuangSingingSandandNewMoonPoolHeavenLakeofCelestialMountainsDevils'CityLoulanMoKaoGrottoatDunhuangSingingSandandNewMoonPoolHeavenLakeofCelestialMountainsDevils'CityLoulanHaveagreattimeontheSilkRoadThanks