the Silk Road

On the vast land, deserts, mountains, gullies, swamps and wasteland, all kinds of complex environments seriously hinder human communication. However, even with natural disasters, the pace of human exploration and communication has never stopped, and even in the era of walking, human beings can still create miracles across Qian Shan. An ancient commercial road gradually formed. In BC 138, a different Lang Guan set out from Chang 'an and embarked on a trip to the Western Regions. What he doesn't know, however, is that this mission will undertake a more important mission that can be recorded in human history, and the road he opened will connect the East and the West. There are twists and turns, but it continues. It has branches and stems, and even extends to the vast sea. It broke through the huge obstacles of nature and man-made, prospered after several times of weakness, and became a great achievement in human history. Until now, it can be full of vitality again. This is the Silk Road.

In 200 BC, Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang led 320,000 soldiers to Deng Bai, 5 kilometers east of Datong. At this time, Liu Bang has completely defeated the most powerful opponent Xiang Yu, and his army has become a mighty army after many battles. However, the tough Xiongnu still posed a great threat to the emerging Han Dynasty. Xiongnu, a nomadic people on horseback, has a strong cavalry team, relying on horses that can reach 60 kilometers per hour, and tarquin often invades the south. Liu bang is determined to use the strength of the whole country to completely defeat the Huns. Unexpectedly, in the mountains, 400,000 Xiongnu fighters suddenly surrounded the Han Army Corps, and they were trapped for seven days and seven nights. The battle of Deng Bai put the Han Dynasty at a complete disadvantage and had to adopt the policy of reconciliation and equality to maintain the relationship with the Xiongnu.

After 60 or 70 years of recuperation, the Western Han Dynasty gradually entered its heyday, and Liang Wudi, who was broad-minded, was no longer willing to bow and scrape to the Xiongnu, attacking the Xiongnu in the north and expanding its territory became Liang Wudi's greatest wish. In order to improve the odds, the Western Han court actively prepared for the war and made many diplomatic plans. A Xiongnu soldier told Emperor Wu that there was a nomadic people named Da Yue in the west of Xiongnu. After being defeated by Xiongnu, Da Yue was forced to move westward again and again, because there was no revenge without strong support. The news made Emperor Wudi very excited, and an important strategic thought came into being. He wanted to send a high-standard mission to the Western Regions to unite with Ren Yue to attack the Huns.

In 138 BC, a huge mission consisting of more than 100 people set out from Chang 'an and embarked on a journey to the west. The leader is an ordinary LangGuan in the bodyguard palace. But his heart is full of yearning for honor and has a strong spirit of exploration. He likes to explore unknown areas rather than lead a mediocre life. He is Zhang Qian. When Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty recruited envoys to the Western Regions, almost no one dared to do so. Zhang Qian jumped out and took on the important mission of contacting Yue State with the Western Regions. Zhang Qian and others know almost nothing about the specific situation of the State of Da Yue, and even don't know its exact address. Everything in the Western Regions is just a legend, including the majestic Kunlun Mountain and the mysterious Queen Mother of the West.

The western region is a geographical concept found in ancient Chinese historical records, which refers to the areas north and south of Tianshan Mountain, west of Yumenguan Gate in Yangguan and east of Congling Mountain. In the early years of the Han Dynasty, the Huns conquered more than 30 small countries in the north and south of Tianshan Mountain, completely cutting off the connection between the Central Plains and the Western Regions. In the geographical concept of China ancestors, Kunlun Mountain is located in the northwest, which is the highest mountain on land and the source of the Yellow River. It is said that Zhou Muwang of the Western Zhou Dynasty once arrived at Kunlun Mountain by the Eight Horses' Western Expedition and returned happily with the Queen Mother of the West. Kunlun Mountain is actually the Tianshan Mountain in northern Hami, Xinjiang today. The towering Tianshan Mountains obscured the vision of our ancestors. Before the opening of the Silk Road in the 2nd century BC, people knew little about the world west and north of Tianshan Mountain. In addition to beautiful legends, there are more terrible rumors about Zhang Qian's mission to the Western Regions. However, the bigger and more realistic difficulty is the barrier of Xiongnu. If you want to go to the western regions, you must first pass through the vast areas ruled by Xiongnu, which is an unavoidable obstacle.

As expected, Zhang Qian's first mission to the Western Regions was stopped by Xiongnu as soon as he left Longxi County. In order to make Zhang Qian submit to the Huns, Zhang Qian remained unmoved. Xiongnu leaders put Zhang Qian and other people in the cold northwest where the natural environment is very bad, leaving them to fend for themselves. Under extremely difficult circumstances, Gan Futong, who is good at riding and shooting, helped Zhang Qian through the difficulties by shooting birds and animals. Gan Fu was originally a Hun and was a domestic slave of Tang Hou Yi in Han Dynasty. Like Zhang Qian, he has an unusual pioneering spirit. Xiongnu leader Khan married Zhang Qian specially to keep him. However, Zhang Qian never forgot his mission. Zhang Qian was detained by the Huns for thirteen years, but he was also familiar with the life, language, customs and topography of the western regions. In BC 129, Zhang Qian finally got the chance to escape. With the Xiongnu relaxing their surveillance, Zhang Qian, Gan Fu and others finally managed to escape from Xiongnu and look for Da Yue's family in the west. This is another extremely difficult and dangerous journey. They had to cross the vast Gobi, and people were killed in the cold wind that roared by. They also need to climb the green ridge where bullying continues, and the places they pass through are deserted for several days. Where is the moon's family? After dozens of days of trekking, Zhang Qian still didn't find the destination. Fortunately, he arrived in Dayuan, fergana valley, Central Asia.

King Dawan had long heard that the Han Dynasty was very rich and powerful, but he never contacted him, so he was very welcome to Zhang Qian. Zhang Qian explained the intention of the mission and asked Dawan Wang to send them to Dayue's home. King Dawan agreed to Zhang Qian's request and sent a guide and an interpreter to lead Zhang Qian and others to Dayue's home on the north bank of Amu Darya. Unexpectedly, the Vietnamese people who were forced to move westward in the Ili River and Chu River basins established a new home in the original summer land with better natural conditions than their original homes. They are content with the status quo and unwilling to seek revenge from the Huns. Zhang Qian lived in Dayue for more than a year, but the other party still gave a vague reply, so Zhang Qian had to return it. Zhang Qian was detained by Xiongnu again on his way home. More than a year later, in 126 BC, the Huns were in civil strife. Zhang Qian fled back to the Han Dynasty with his wife, children and father, and returned to Chang 'an, where he was troubled by dreams. After the first trip to the Western Regions, it is not difficult to find the hardships and cruelty of this trip. When we set out, there were only two people left in the huge group. To make matters worse, the mission lasted 14 years. Paying such a huge and heavy price, when Zhang Qian saw Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty return empty-handed, he changed completely, and the world choked for ten years. However, did Zhang Qian's first trip to the Western Regions really yield nothing? For the court of the Western Han Dynasty, Zhang Qian brought back extremely important information. He gave a detailed report on his visit to four countries, and rumoured about six countries, which made the young Emperor Wu excited and fascinated. Since then, the western regions have changed from illusory imagination to real existence, which is the basis of communication between the East and the West. Zhang Qian introduced that there are good horses in Dawan, and the horses sweat like blood, and they are descendants of Tianma. The BMW in Dawan made Emperor Wudi's blood boil.

In 1 16 BC, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty sent Zhang Qian to the western regions again, and the second trip to the western regions was not as dangerous as the first one. After a series of wars, the Han Dynasty defeated the Xiongnu, and the Xiongnu was forced to migrate to far away places, which made the trip to China very smooth. At this time, Zhang Qian was nearly 50 years old, and her body was getting old due to vicissitudes. But he is still the best person to go to the Western Regions, and his great sense of mission still fills Zhang Qian's mind. In his view, the seemingly sinister Western Region is actually his treasure, where he can realize his life value and win great honor, and he is willing to shed his blood for the Western Region. The mission team is larger, with 300 envoys. With the wish of the Han court, each person prepared two horses, carrying tens of thousands of cattle and sheep, tens of millions of gold coins, silk and other valuables. Their destination is Wusunguo, which is located in the Ili River and Chu River basins.

Wusun is a big country in the western regions and an important vassal state of Xiongnu. The purpose of Zhang Qian's trip is to persuade Wusun to abandon Xiongnu and pro-Han. Zhang Qian's trip was very smooth, and he came to Chikou, where Wusun Wang Ting is located, unscathed. The huge mission, expensive gifts, well-dressed and polite envoys all made the Wusun monarch and his subjects awe the distant Han empire. King Wusun warmly welcomed Zhang Qian and his party, expressing his willingness to associate with the Han Dynasty, but unwilling to be enemies with the Huns, and declined the political demands of the envoys of the Han Dynasty. He sent a special envoy to Chang 'an to express his gratitude.

Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty successively married the two princesses of the Han imperial clan to King Wusun, and implemented a pro-Xiongnu policy, which eventually turned Wusun from pro-Xiongnu to pro-Han. In 7 1 year BC, the Han army marched eastward to the Xiongnu, and Wusun sent troops to help Han make great contributions. Wusun became a reliable ally of the Han Dynasty in the Western Regions, and the friendly relationship between Han and Wusun lasted for a hundred years. In addition to sending ambassadors to Wusunguo, Zhang Qian also sent envoys to visit Dawan, Kangju, Da Yue's, Daxia and other countries to publicize Wade's position in the Han Dynasty and express his willingness to communicate. After completing his second mission, Zhang Qian returned to Chang 'an and died a year later. This year is 1 14 BC. Zhang Qian's life seems to be to complete the mission to the western regions, and this great achievement is enough to make him immortal. Sima Qian used the word "hollowing out" in Historical Records, which vividly described Zhang Qian's feat of opening up the western regions. Zhang Qian spirit is our nation's precious intangible wealth. His profound knowledge, firm belief and courage were used for development, and with his limited blood, he laid a priceless road connecting the East and the West. This Silk Road passes through plains and grasslands, mountains, canyons and deserts, and has made outstanding contributions to mankind.

Zhang Qian and his men were the first envoys of the Central Plains Dynasty who formally entered the Western Regions and even beyond. Wherever the Zhang Qian delegation went, it publicized Wade of the Han Dynasty and conveyed the friendship of the Han people, so that people in the hinterland of North and South Asia in Tianshan Mountain knew the prosperity and strength of the Han Dynasty for the first time, had the desire to communicate with this great eastern country, and set up a bridge for the exchange of eastern and western civilizations. For such a political road, economic road and cultural road connecting East and West, why is it called Silk Road?

As early as 3,000 years ago, people in China learned about sericulture and silk weaving technology. Before porcelain and tea were introduced to the west, silk was the most important and representative commodity in Sino-Western trade. Since the 20th century, silk products of the Han Dynasty have been found from the Tarim Basin to palmira, the eastern province of the Roman Empire. The other dignitaries and celebrities of the Roman court used China silk to show their dignity. It lasted for 400 years before and after the Han Dynasty, which was one of the most tense and dynamic periods in China's history. Around A.D., the Han Dynasty had trade and political ties with most parts of Asia, and the resulting route was collectively called the Silk Road. 1877, German geographer Richthofen put forward the concept of the Silk Road for the first time in his book China. He said,' From BC 1 14 to AD 127, the transportation routes in the western regions connecting China and rivers and China and India through the Silk Road trade all started from Chang 'an or Luoyang, the political center of China. Since then, the Han Dynasty has established direct contact with countries in the western regions, and the opening of the Silk Road has connected the two major civilization centers of the East and the West.

The Silk Road is a political road. Through the Silk Road, the Han Dynasty cut off the threat of Xiongnu, controlled the north and south of Tianshan Mountain, and expanded its territory from Hexi Corridor to Pamirs. In BC 10 1 year, Li Guangli, a general of the Western Han Dynasty, defeated Dawanguo with his army and returned home in triumph with thousands of bloody BMWs. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty wrote a poem called "Song of the West Pole of Tianma". "Tianma comes from the West Pole and wanders in quicksand, which is worn by nine foreigners." For this talented emperor, it is certainly gratifying to get a BMW pony, and it is his glory and dream to conquer all countries in the world. However, because this road spans so much, it can't exist for a long time without strong political power to ensure its safety along the way. With its strong national strength, the Han Dynasty has become the most important pioneer and protector of the Silk Road, providing the most solid guarantee for the smooth and prosperous road. Starting from Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, the Han Dynasty invested national financial resources, opened up new land and kept the Silk Road unblocked, which lasted for a long time, which was unprecedented in the history of China.

Today, it is located in the rare ruins of the ancient city of Baguaying, Minle, Gansu Province, which was an important grain storage place a thousand years ago. After Emperor Wu defeated Xiongnu and established Zhangye County, he began to implement large-scale immigration and reclamation. Reclaiming farmland is an important measure to govern the western regions and maintain the Silk Road in the Han Dynasty. For thousands of years, the descendants of folk music settlers have been farming and breeding on this land, accompanied by farming techniques and farm tools inherited from their ancestors. Nowadays, the ancient farming methods have been replaced by modern sowing machines.

The beacon tower of Rey Site is located about 20 kilometers west of luntai county, which was built in the Western Han Dynasty. The night horn blew on the breast wall of the wheel tower, although the flag at the north end hung soft. In the writings of ancient China literati, Luntai was synonymous with the frontier war and the bitter and cold life of frontier fortress, and Luntai, located in the middle of the western regions, was the political center of the Han Dynasty in the western regions. In 60 BC, the Xiongnu forces were expelled from the Western Regions, and the Western Han Dynasty established the Western Regions Duhu here to manage the affairs of the Western Regions. This is the first county-level administrative organization established by the Central Plains Dynasty in the Western Regions, which marks the formal incorporation of the northern and southern Tianshan Mountains into Chinese territory. Since then, today's Xinjiang region has been under the jurisdiction of the central dynasty and has become an inseparable part of China.

The Great Wall is an important military facility for the ancient Central Plains Dynasty to resist the invasion of northern cavalry. In the Han Dynasty, the Great Wall of the North reached Dunhuang in Liaoning Province from east to west. In order to resist the invasion of Huns and ensure the smooth flow of the Silk Road, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty recruited hundreds of thousands of people to build a frontier fortress in the desolate western part of the empire. The fortress starts from Dunhuang in the east and reaches graphite in the west, crossing sand and desert, which has played an important role in defending the smooth flow of the Silk Road. However, the process of governing the Western Regions in the Han Dynasty was not smooth sailing. The western regions are far away from the Central Plains, and it is impossible for the Han army to be stationed for a long time. Tragedy that envoys of Han Dynasty were robbed or killed occurred from time to time. At the beginning of the Eastern Han Dynasty, due to the melee of regime change, the national strength was obviously weakened, and it was once too busy to look to the west. Countries in the western regions had to attach themselves to the powerful northern Xiongnu. The Silk Road was interrupted for 65 years, and the times called for another hero to appear. He is Ban Chao. Like Zhang Qian, he will go to the Western Regions and make outstanding contributions to the reopening and prosperity of the Silk Road.

In the Han Dynasty, there were dozens of states of different sizes in the north and south of Tianshan Mountain, west of Yumenguan Gate in Yangguan and east of Congling, which were distributed in desert oases and Gobi grasslands, and were known as the thirty-six states in the western regions in history. Ban Gu, a historian of the Eastern Han Dynasty, recorded in detail the geographical location, total number of registered permanent residence, total population, military strength, customs and habits of each state in the biography of the Western Regions of Han Dynasty. In 73 AD, Ban Chao, the younger brother of Ban Gu, was appointed as a fake Sima to join the army and follow Dou Gu, a captain, to fight against the Huns. Ban Chao was brave and good at fighting, and he was appreciated by Dou Gu. He was sent to the Western Regions, and Ban Chao and others arrived in Shanshan. At first, King Shanshan received them with great humility and consideration, but soon they were suddenly left out in the cold. Ban Chao decided that this must be the messenger of the Northern Xiongnu. At this time, the Xiongnu was divided into the North Xiongnu and the South Xiongnu. The South Xiongnu surrendered to the Eastern Han Dynasty in 48 AD, while the North Xiongnu still fought against the Eastern Han Dynasty and was powerful. Countries in the western regions don't know whether to obey the Eastern Han Dynasty or the Xiongnu, and King Shanshan hesitates. This is a crucial historical moment. Ban Chao called all the 36 people who went out together and encouraged everyone to' nothing ventured, nothing gained, as long as the Xiongnu emissary was destroyed and King Shanshan was scared to death, we would succeed.' That night, as soon as it was dark, Ban Chao led 36 warriors to raid the residence of the northern Xiongnu messenger, and a fire broke out in the strong wind. In order to create momentum, they also beat gongs and drums, and more than 100 northern Xiongnu messengers and their entourage were killed or burned to death. The next day, when Ban Chao handed over the head of the northern Xiongnu to King Shanshan, Shanshan was shocked all over the country, and Ban Chao tried to persuade him to appease him, so that Shanshan was completely attached to the Eastern Han Dynasty. Ban Chao's deeds spread to the Eastern Han Dynasty, and Emperor Hanming was overjoyed. He personally entrusted Ban Chao with full authority to handle the affairs of the Western Regions, and planned to send a large number of military forces for Ban Chao's disposal. Ban Chao accepted the task on the second floor, but did not accept a large number of military forces. He thinks that only 36 soldiers are enough now.

Ban Chao devoted himself to the Western Regions for thirty-one years, united the pro-Han countries, cracked down on the Xiongnu and anti-Han forces, and safeguarded the peace of the Western Regions and the prestige of the Han Dynasty. In a military operation in 94 AD, Ban Chao successfully mobilized 80,000 troops from various countries in the Western Region and brought more than 50 countries in the Western Region back to the Han Dynasty. Ban Chao, which is better at uniting and contacting distant countries through diplomatic means, has made the old Silk Road smoother and the new Silk Road is being opened up. Ban Chao hoped to communicate directly with the western Daqin, that is, the Roman Empire. In the 3rd century BC, the Romans rose in the western part of Eurasia and gradually developed into a great empire spanning Europe, Asia and Africa. The Han Dynasty in the East and Rome in the West were the two most important and influential centers of civilization in the world at that time, but they failed to establish direct contact. Today, there are thousands of years-old glass workshops in the ancient city of Venice. For thousands of years, the owners of old workshops still use ancient hand-made glass products, which have inherited the production technology of their ancestors. While Daqin people loved the silk of the Han Dynasty, Han people also liked Daqin's pearls very much. Xin Yannian, a poet of the Eastern Han Dynasty, described the image of a foreign beauty in his poem "Lin Yulang", "Long skirt with tie, wide sleeve acacia, lantian jade on the head and Zhu Qin behind the ear." Daqinzhu mentioned in the poem is a dragonfly eye glass bead from the Mediterranean. From the western regions to the mainland, from the palace to the restaurant, Daqinzhu became a favorite ornament for women in the Han Dynasty.

In 97 A.D., Ban Chao sent Gan Ying to Daqin. Unfortunately, Gan Ying only reached Tiaoce along the Persian Gulf, but stopped because local businessmen deliberately played up the maritime danger and failed to complete the mission. After more than 70 years, one day in September of A.D. 169, Luoyang, the capital of the Eastern Han Dynasty, was decorated with colorful lights. Under the guidance and escort of the majestic Royal Guards, a batch of foreign envoys came slowly, and the current Emperor Han Huan received the envoys in Deyang Hall, which can accommodate 10,000 people. The visit of Daqin emissary is the first close contact between two ancient civilizations, and it is a symbol of Debu in the Han Dynasty. This time, Daqin emissary took the Maritime Silk Road.

With the progress of navigation technology, the Maritime Silk Road was gradually formed in the Han Dynasty. As early as the sixth year of Emperor Ding Yuan of the Han Dynasty, that is, 1 165438 BC, the army of the Han Dynasty pacified South Vietnam and established nine counties including Nanhai. Ships from China set out from ports such as Hinan and Hepu and sailed into the Indian Ocean along the coast. The opening and development of the Maritime Silk Road has deepened the exchanges between the East and the West and enriched the connotation of the Silk Road. It combines political, economic, military, cultural, frontier, ethnic and many other factors, and writes the glory and dreams, courage and lofty sentiments in the process of unifying a multi-ethnic country in the Han Dynasty. Today, both the land Silk Road and the Maritime Silk Road have been revived. In 20 13, the government of China solemnly put forward a strategic initiative to build the Silk Road Economic Belt and the Maritime Silk Road in the 2 13 century, which opened a new chapter in the construction of the Belt and Road. For more than 2,000 years, despite the constant change of dynasties, the ancient Silk Road still flourished. Cooperation and communication, perseverance and constant exploration of faith are the spiritual roots of the sustained prosperity of the ancient Silk Road. At this time, the brilliant prospect of the Silk Road is just around the corner, and it has become a great dream that we are about to realize. However, we will never forget that it was in the Han Dynasty more than 2,000 years ago that the people of China, with their unique tenacity and courage, opened up the Silk Road and realized Zhou Muwang's dream of exploring the universe in the Eight Barrens. Opening up the Silk Road in Han Dynasty is a great pioneering work in the history of China and even the world.