SilkRoad Ancient trade route linkedChina Europe.Originally caravanroute usedfrom 100BC, 4,000-mi(6,400-km) road started Xi'an,China, followed GreatWall northwest,climbed PamirMtns., crossed Afghanistan, easternMediterranean Sea, where goods were taken Rome.Silk carriedwestward, while wool, gold, silverwere carried eastward. routebecame unsafe; revivedunder MarcoPolo used 13thcentury. SilkRoad Maybe you have heard about SilkRoad yourselflong before so youhave already understood constantlychanging endlessbarren desert itsquietness. Maybe you have met numerouswords before. Haven’t you understood its brilliance hidden ancientroute left ourancestors hasgone through over2000 years doyou still want havebeen pleasant yourears outalong historicalroute goesthrough Asia continuousflow broadancient route? Well, let’s read SilkRoad virtualworld built nettechnology! 10,000-lisilver ribbon, starting Chang’an(Xi’an today), ancientcapital easternshore MediterraneanSea, links up fields, deserts, grasslands, SilkRoad famed worldhistory, firstthoroughfare linksup China West.2000 ago, our ancestors opened up greatroad--the Silk Road. China firstcountry breedsilkworms producesilk. SilkRoad firstconceived during Qindynasties. From 138--139B.C., Zhang Qian, outstanding Western Han diplomat traveler,first “blazed SilkRoad formallyinaugurated China’s“national road” linking up west.Holding tasseledstaff “drivingenormous herds bringingquantities goldencoins silk,”Zhang Qian set out twotrips from Chang’an reachedLoulan (around Roujiang today), Yuli, Quick (Kula today), Shula (Kashi today), Yutan (Hotan today) IllRiver valley today), Dayuan,Kanju, kand Dayuezhi, now Amu-DaryaRiver valley CentralAsia. His assistant even went Ansi(Iran) Xindu(India) friendlyvisits. return,envoys from countriesalso visited China, merchantswere continually 73AD, Ban Zhao embarked westernregion 36-manretinue, ensuring smoothoperation SilkRoad which had once been blocked war.His deputy Gan Ying reached Daqin (ancient Rome) PersianGulf (Arabic Gulf), extending SilkRoad. ancientSilk Road linked Chinese culture India,Greece, Rome Persianfrom one century other,carried greatChinese inventions silk,gunpowder, papermaking broughtBuddhism, Nestorianism, relatedarts China.From time immemorial, SilkRoad has been friendlyintercourse between foreignpeople. Chinese silk, ironware, gold platinum,bronze mirrors, lacquer bamboowares, drugs smeltingtechnology passed through westernregion Europe.Alfalfa, grapes, sesame, pomegranates, walnuts, cucumbers, carrots, safflowers, lions,peacocks, elephants, camels horsesfrom westernregion also found Chineseinterior. passagefrom WestRegion: History HanDynasty, documents tradebetween China foreigncountries: emperor’shousehold pearls,rhinoceros horns peacockfeathers. Palace officials’ stables were crowded thoroughbredhorses: elephants, lions, mastiffs peacocksroam menagerie.Exotic articles poured fromevery quarter.” Fa Xian XuanZang, eminent monks TangDynasties, journeyed morethan 30 countries including Kashmir, Pakistan, India SriLanka along SilkRoad FaXian WestRegion XuanZang were important references WestRegion SilkRoad. 1222-1223, Yelu Chucai, Yuandynasty poet, QiuChuji, leader Taoism,traveled west madelively notes scenesalong northern Xinjiang centralAsian region. ancientSilk Road linked Chinese culture India,Greece, Rome Persianfrom one century other,carried greatChinese inventions silk,gunpowder, papermaking broughtBuddhism, Nestorianism, relatedarts China.From time immemorial, SilkRoad has been friendlyintercourse between foreignpeople. ancientSilk Road yields worldfamous treasures. passes,castles, grotto temples, courier stations, burial sites beacontowers shine greaterpart SilkRoad threads its way through Xinjiang. Ancient travelers left behind many historical records invaluablerelics. remindspeople from time Chinesenation had spread its splendid uniqueancient civilization wholeworld through mainroute so peopleall over worldcould understand its great oriental civilization. mainartery culturalexchange between China westerncountries. Different Routes SilkRoad morethan one route SilkRoad. routesvary due differentdestinations differentdynasties. threemain routes. routealong northside TianshanMountain NorthTianshan Route; southside TianshanMountain, SouthTianshan Route alongKunlun Mountain SouthWestern Region Route. threeroutes called,respectively from north northroute, middleroute, southroute. abovethree routes actuallyone route before reachLoulan, Xingjiang, fromXi’an---Lanzhou---the Hexi Corridor---Wuwei---Zhangye---Jiuquan---Dunhuang---Yumen Guan (Yang Guan)---Loulan. northroute runs from Loulan---Turfan---Hami---Urumqi---Yining---Yili--west CaspianSea. middleroute runs from Loulan---Kuche---Aksu---Kashi---west Romealong MediterraneanSea. southroute runs from Loulan---Qiemo---Yutian---Shache---south Afghan.敦煌的鸣沙山、月牙泉以其自然地理奇观之美名已享誉海内外，而可与其相媲美的玉门关雅丹魔 鬼城却鲜为人知。据“辞海”解释，“雅丹--维吾尔语，原义为具有陡壁的土丘，是干燥地区 的一种风蚀地貌”。在距玉门关西85 公里处，有一处典型的雅丹地貌群落，东西长约25 公里， 南北宽约1-2 公里，敦煌人俗称魔鬼城，因此暂且定名为“玉门关雅丹魔鬼城”。 这片雅丹地貌 群落远远超出了辞书中所定义的规模和形态，其个体和整体规模之大，形态之奇异实属举世罕见。 其高度，低的四五米，高的有二十多米，长宽由十几米到几百米不等，其整体，像一座中世纪的 古城。这座特殊的“城堡”，有城墙、有街道、有大楼、有广场、有教堂、有雕塑;其形象生动， 维妙维肖，令世人瞠目。世界许多著名建筑都可以在这里找到它的缩影，北京的天坛、西藏的布 达拉宫、埃及的金字塔、狮身人面像、草原的蒙古包、阿拉伯式的清真寺应有尽有，雕塑有大漠 雄狮，有丝路驼队，有群龟出海，有中流砥柱„„不可胜述。置身其中，宛苦进入了世界建筑艺 术博物馆，让人目不暇接，惊叹不已。这些大自然的杰作，堪称鬼斧神工，奇妙无穷，让人佩服 得五体投地，令游人流连忘返，更引起无限遐思。从钢筋水泥的城市切换到丝路敦煌，面对这瑰 丽多彩的名胜古迹、绮丽迷人的塞外风光，阳关及玉门关虽只余下断壁残垣，置身其间，却仍能 隐隐感受到边关的铁马金戈之气，使人不得不慨叹历史的沉重和苍凉。