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HomeSilk Road : Route of the Silk Road :
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The Han-dynasty Silk Road began at the manigicent capital city of
Chang'an ( today's Xian). The route took traders westwards into Gansu
Province through Lanzhou, Tianshui, Zhangye, jiuquan along the Hexi
Corridor reached Jiayuguan - the giant barrier of the Great Wall and the
first key point of the route- Dunhuang. Dunhuang is in the west end of
the Hexi Corridor of Gansu Province. It is one of the well-known Chinese
historical and cultural cities, and the bright pearl on the ancient Silk
Road.
When the ancient Silk Road came out of the Hexi Corridor into Xinjiang,
it broke into three main routes. The southern route ran west along the
northern foot of Kunlun Mountains, via Charkhilk ( Ruoqiang), Cherchen (
Quemo), Minfeng ( Niya), and Hetian ( Hotan), then reached Kashgar -
another key point on the Silk Road, afterwards went over the Pamirs, and
reached India or passed through Afghanistan and Russian Central Asia to
reach the coast of the Mediterranean or Arabia. The central route
meandered west along the southern foot of the Tianshan Mountains dotted
by Loulan, Korla, Chucha, and Aksu, then crossed the Pamirs and led to
Mari in Russia. The northern route rambled along the northern foot of the
Tianshan Mountains, starting at Hami wound through Turpan, Urumqi,
westward reached the Ili River Valley, and led to area as near the Black
Sea.
The three routes of the Silk Road ran between mountain ranges and long
edges of deserts, going through oases inhabited by ancient tribes. These
tribes also opened some branch roads across mountain passes to join the
three routes together.
The ancient Silk Road in Xinjiang traversed desolate desert areas and
wound over snow-capped peaks. It was full of difficulties and obstacles
and more dangerous and fascinating than other sections of the road. It
was the only way for China to get in touch with the West between the
second century B.C. and the 10th century A.D. Various ancient cultures of
the West and East, including some lost cultures, have left traces of
themselves in Xinjiang. Although sections of the Silk Road have been
buried by sand in deserts, the local dry climate has miraculously
preserved sites and relics several thousand years old. Some relics are as
good as they were centuries ago.
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