Ancient Silk Road Starting From Xi'an

Xi'an was the eastern starting point of the ancient Silk Road, which was not just a road, but an international connection bringing products from one side of the world to the other, an important path for cultural, commercial, and technological exchange between East and West. Thus, trying the Silk Road experience on your Xi'an tours is quite worthwhile.

This route was used as a "National Road", from the ancient central plains stretched towards the west upon the ancient Chinese silk trade. Emperors, nobility, businessmen, beggars, and prisoners had left their footprints on this road.

Silk Road is also known as the "friendship canal" based upon the silk trade between the West and the East. In the 2nd century B.C., Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty twice sent Zhang Qian on a diplomatic mission to the Western Lands; the road to the West was opened and brought more convenience to the communication between ancient China and Middle Asia than in previous times. In the meantime, it improved the friendship between nationalities along the road and promoted the development of human civilization as well.

Large quantities of Chinese silks were transported to the west along this road, thus the name Silk Road. Other Chinese materials besides silk, for example, metallic tools, cast irons, and paper-making technologies, were introduced to Europe via Middle Asia. Buddhism and its art were introduced to the West Lands via Middle Asia as well, then to the East. History has left the Silk Road with large quantities of cultural relics, such as the ruins of ancient cities, tombs, the Great Wall, religious temples, and grottoes. 

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