The role and significance of the Silk Road

Function: The opening of the Silk Road effectively promoted the economic and cultural exchanges between the East and the West and played a positive role in promoting the prosperity of the Han Dynasty.

Significance: The Silk Road is an international passage with far-reaching historical significance and the first bridge connecting China and the western world. Through this ancient road, the ancient China culture, Indian culture, Persian culture, Arabic culture, ancient Greek and Roman culture are connected, and the exchanges between eastern and western civilizations are promoted.

The Silk Road, referred to as Silk Road for short, generally refers to the land Silk Road, which is broadly divided into the land Silk Road and the maritime Silk Road.

The overland Silk Road originated in the Western Han Dynasty (202-8 years ago), starting from the capital Chang 'an (now Xi 'an), passing through Gansu and Xinjiang, reaching Central Asia and West Asia and connecting Mediterranean countries. Its original function was to transport silk produced in ancient China.

The "Maritime Silk Road" is a maritime passage for transportation, trade and cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries in ancient times, mainly centering on the South China Sea, so it is also called the South China Sea Silk Road. The Maritime Silk Road was formed in the Qin and Han Dynasties, developed from the Three Kingdoms to the Sui Dynasty, flourished in the Tang and Song Dynasties and changed in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. This is the oldest known sea route.

The traditional Silk Road starts from Chang 'an, the ancient capital of China, passes through Central Asian countries, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq and Syria, reaches the Mediterranean Sea, and ends in Rome, with a total length of 6,440 kilometers. This road is considered to be the intersection of ancient eastern and western civilizations connecting Asia and Europe, and silk is the most representative commodity.

With the development of the times, the Silk Road has become the general name of all political, economic and cultural exchanges between ancient China and the West. There is the "Northwest Silk Road", and Zhang Qian in the Western Han Dynasty opened the official passage of the western regions; There is a "Prairie Silk Road", which goes north to the Mongolian Plateau, then west to the northern foot of Tianshan Mountain and enters Central Asia. There is a rugged "Southwest Silk Road", from Chang 'an to Chengdu, and then to India.

References:

Silk road _ Baidu encyclopedia