The_Silk_Road_(丝绸之路)

TheSilkTrade23•Thewestcametoknowsilk•RoutesoftheSilkRoad•ThemeaningoftheSilkRoadⅠ.Thewestcametoknowsilk5THESILKROAD•TheancientSilkRoadinnorthwestChinahasahistoryofmorethantwothousandyears.Originally,theChinesetradedsilkinternallywithintheempire.Caravansfromtheempire'sinteriorwouldcarrysilktothewesternedgesoftheregion.TheywereoftenattackedbythesmallCentralAsiantribeswhowantedtocapturethetraders'valuablecommodities.6THESILKROAD•Inordertoprotectthesecaravansandassurethesafetyofthetrade,theHanGovernmentdispatchedGeneralZhangQianasanenvoytobuildgoodrelationshipswiththesetribes.7(164BC~114BC)Anexplorer,traveleranddiplomatinHandynasty.8THESILKROAD•StartingfromChang’an,today'sXi’an,whichwasthecapitaloftheWesternHanDynasty,ZhangledhisteamacrossthevastWesternRegionsandreachedLoulan,GuiziandYutianstatesandestablishedtraderelationswiththesesmallkingdoms.9THESILKROAD•Loulan,GuiziandYutianwerethreeimportantstatesintheWesternRegionatthattime.Theywereallabandonedforuncertainreasonsandtravelerstodaycanseeruinsofthesethreeonceflourishingplaces.10THESILKROAD•Zhang’sofficerswentevenfurtherintothecentralAsia.AllofthekingdomsthatZhangandhisteamhadvisitedsenttheirenvoystovisitChang’an(today’sXi’an)toexpresstheirappreciationforthenewrelationshipandshowtheirrespecttotheHanGovernment.11THESILKROAD•Fromthenon,merchantscouldtravelonthesilkroutesafely,andtheybegantoexplorethisnewrouteinordertocarrysilkfromChinatootherpartsoftheworld.12THESILKROAD•ThefamousChineseMonkXuanzanginTangDynastytraveledalongtheSilkRoadduringtheTangDynasty.13THESILKROAD•ThefamousChineseMonkXuanzanginTangDynastytraveledalongtheSilkRoadduringtheTangDynasty.•XuanzangbeganhistripfromChang’an(today'sXi’an)andpassedthroughtheGanSuCorridor,HaMi,TurPanandcontinuedhisjourneywestwardtoIndia.Xuanzangwassurprisedbythewarmreceptionhereceivedalonghisway.14THESILKROAD•Itwascommonlybelievedthatpeopleinthosestateswerebrutal,wildanduncontrollable.Xuangzang'stripchangedtheattitudetowardthenomadictribesintheWesternRegionandthiscontributedgreatlytotheTanggovernment'sfriendlyrelationshipwiththesestates.•By760AD,theTangGovernmenthadlostcontroloftheWesternRegionandtradeontheSilkRoadwashalted.15THESILKROAD•ItrevivedtremendouslyundertheYuanDynastyduringtheeleventhandtwelfthcenturieswhenChinabecamelargelydependentonitssilktrade.GenghisKhanconqueredallthesmallstates,unifiedChinaandbuiltalargeempireunderhisrule.16THESILKROAD•TradealongtheSilkRoadreacheditszenithduringthisperiod.ThefamoustravelerMarcoPolotraveledalongtheSilkRoadvisitingDaDuthatistoday'sBeijingandwrotehisfamousbookabouttheorient.17THESILKROAD•Asoverlandtradebecameincreasinglydangerous,andtravelbyseabecamemorepopular,tradealongtheSilkRoaddeclined.WhiletheChinesedidmaintainasilk-furtradewiththeRussiansnorthoftheoriginalSilkRoute,bytheendofthefourteenthcentury,tradeandtravelalongtheroadhaddecreasedsignificantly.18THESILKROAD•TheSilkRoadwasdefinitelyanimportantpathforcultural,commercialandtechnologicalexchangebetweentraders,merchants,pilgrim,missionariesevensoldiers.Duringmorethan2000years,theroadimprovedthetransferfromnomadstourbandwellersacrosstheAsiancontinenteventhecountriesborderinguponMediterranean.19THESILKROAD•TheemergenceoftheSilkRoadvigorouslypromotedtheEast-Westeconomic,culturalexchanges,andcontributedtotheriseoftheHanDynasty.Furthermore,thatrouteisakeypathwayofIntercoursebetweenEastandWest,either.20•Astheroadtothewestwaspopularlyknownforitstradeofsilk,whichwaspricedasvaluableasgold,thatcommercialroutecametobeknownastheSilkRoad.21Ⅱ.RoutesoftheSilkRoad•Generallyspeaking,thereweretwomajorroutes:onewasoverland,theotherwasacrosstheIndianOcean.22Thesearouteof“SilkRoad”normallystartsfromGuangxiorelseporttownsonthesoutheasterncoastofChina.AfleetextendsitsvoyagethroughtheseaofJapan,theYellowSea,SouthChinaSea,theBayofBengal（孟加拉湾）,aroundtheMalayPeninsula,offthecoastofBurma,andcametoSoutheastAsiaandtheIndiaPeninsula.Then,itcontinuesalongarouteacrosstheIndianOcean,theArabSea,thePersianGulf(波斯湾),theRedseaandfinallyarrivesatdestinationportsofAfricaorEurope.23GuangxitheseaofJapantheBayofBengaltheIndiaPeninsulathePersianGulf24Withthedevelopmentofseamanshipandnavigation,particularlyafterZhenghesuccessfullysailedtotheWest,asearoutetotheWesttooktheplaceofthesilkroadoverland.25Thesilkroad,whichismentionedtoday,refersexclusivelytotheoverlandroute.Thereasonissimple:searoutemainlyexportedporcelain(瓷器),thensilk,gunpowder,tea,importedspecies,pepper,cottonandothercommodities.26TheSilkRoadhadservedfortensofhundredsofyearsasthemainrouteofbusinessoverthecontinentsofAsia,EuropeandAfrica,anarteryofCommodityFlowandculturalexchangethatgaveimmenseimpetustotheriseofmajoreconomiesandcivilizationoftheworld.ItlinkedsuchancientcivilizationsasChina,India,Greece,Egypt,andBabylonia.Inasense,theSilkRoadwasnootherthanarouteofcultureandcivilization.Ⅲ.ThemeaningoftheSilkRoad27Silkgarmentsisregardedascharacteristicofthearistocratic（贵族的、高贵的）andthegenteel（上流社会的）.Asanimportantvarietyoftheclothworld,undertheinfluenceofa“greenrevolution”,thetrendofreturningtonature,peo