Do you know the Silk Road has been a bridge between East and West for more than 2,000 years? It began during the Han Dynasty. It was a network of trade routes (路线) connecting Europe, Africa and Asia.
The Silk Road is about 7,000 kilometers long with 4,000 kilometers in China which includes Shanxi, Gansu, Qinghai and Xinjiang.
The Silk Road got its name because Chinese silk used to be carried along this road. Besides silk, china and other products went west.
Here are people who played an important role in the Silk Road. During Western Han, Zhang Qian visited the Western area of China twice, forming a route, which enabled silk to spread and became popular for the first time. Ban Chao from Eastern Han Dynasty set off on a diplomatic (外交的) trip to western China. What he has done made the Silk Road to Europe even longer. During Yuan Dynasty, Italian traveler Marco Polo reached China and described many details about the trade route to the whole world through his book.
The Silk Road was very important to the world. During the trade, knowledge about science, arts and culture were shared across the Silk Road. The towns and cities along the Silk Road developed as well because of the trade.
In modern times, the old Silk Road routes are still used, but trains go through the Road instead of camels and horses. Now, beginning in August, 2022, a new train line, the New Orient Express, runs from Beijing across the Silk Road. Today, places along the Silk Road are great places of interest, such as Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an and Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuan, Gansu.
| Basic Introductions to Silk Road*: About 7,000 km * Origin of the name: Silk was carried on the road to west. * History: It started from Han Dynasty. * Role: It's a network of trade routes connecting Europe, Asia and Africa. |
| Three important people for the Silk Road* Zhang Qian: He was one of the who started to develop the Silk Road. * Ban Chao: What he had done helped to extend the Silk Road to Europe. * Marco Polo: The of the Silk Road in his book made it known around the world. |
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| Meanings* It improved the of culture, science and art. * The towns and cities along the Silk Road developed quickly. | Situations in Modern Times* Trains camels and horses. * Many places become the places of interest, such as Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an and Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang. |
