What's the Silk Road? In history, it was an important international trade route(贸易路线)between China and the Mediterranean Sea(地中海). The Silk Road began in the Western Han Dynasty and has a history of more than 2, 000 years.
In the past, the road started in Chang'an(now Xi'an)and ended in Europe near the Mediterranean Sea. It was about 6, 500 kilometres long and went across 1/4 of the world.
The Silk Road got its name in the 19th century because Chinese silk was famous, and traders carried it to other places along this road. Traders also carried porcelain(瓷器) and other things to the West. And glass, gems(宝石) and food like carrots from the West came to China.
The Silk Road was very important to both China and the rest of the world. It was more than an international trade route. Lots of art and science of other countries came to China through the Silk Road. In this way, languages and cultures influenced each other.
Today, China is trying to make the dream of the Belt and Road come true.
