Importance & Historical Significance of the Silk Road

Silk Road, a trade and cultural exchanges road which have more than two thousand years of the history. This semester we have learned knowledge about all aspects of the Silk Road, and now, when we look again toward the road with vicissitudes in the sand and the long silence, as if we can also through thousands of years of time to see it’s prosperity. This road has attracted the attention of many people, including government officials, scholars, professors and ordinary students, businessmen, tourists. What is the value of it? What’s significance that we understand it, learn it, research it, and develop it? This article briefly describes the historical significance of Silk Road: including trade, scientific and technological, political, ethnic, religious, artistic; academic research value of Silk Road: for history, geography, sociology, etc.;the value of the Silk Road tourism development.

Introduction

The Silk Road refers to the road opened up in the Han Dynasty, starts with Chang ‘an (now Xi’an) or Luoyang, pass with Gansu, Xinjiang to Central Asia, West Asia, and links the Mediterranean countries land access. This road is also known as the “overland Silk Road” or “Oasis Silk Road”. Generalized Silk Road refers throughout Eurasia or North Africa and East Africa, including the general term of the long-distance business and cultural exchange lines began to form from antiquity. In addition to the above route, including grassland Silk Road formed in about the 5th century, maritime silk route formed in medieval early years and played a huge role in the Song Dynasty and the Southern Silk Road which appeared at the same time of the Northwestern Silk Road’s formation, and replaced it as the overland communication channel in the early Song Dynasty.

Historical Significance

First, caravan on the Silk Road transported the rare animals, plants, leather goods, herbs, spices, jewelry from the west to east, then trade them for Chinese silk, tea, porcelain, and other goods. These goods enriched Western and Eastern people’s daily life. Secondly, after the opening of the Silk Road, smelting and sinking technique of the Central Plains spread to the Central Asia promoting the improvement of the social production levels and economic development in the Western Region; China’s four great inventions and Silk weaving technology, lacquer arts also via the Silk Road pass all parts of the world to promote the process of world civilization. Thirdly, after the opening of the Silk Road, the increasingly frequent diplomatic activity between Western Regions and central China closed political ties of each other. At the same time, some Western countries such as Persian, Roman Empire also sent envoys to China. That promoted the exchange of Chinese and Western cultures. Fourth, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Manichaeism and Nestorian came with the Silk Road in China becoming many people’s faith and spread to the Korean Peninsula, Japan and other Asian countries along the Silk Road branch. In addition, the Silk Road has great significance in promoting ethnic blend of art and cultural exchange.

The Value of Academic Research

The Silk Road is a typical linear cultural heritage, has a very distinct linear cultural identity: (1) is a linear or ribbon cultural heritage area, range, including the legacy of many kinds of human activities reflect the form of rich. Both geographical characteristics of mutual exchange and accumulation of history blend; (2) scale, can refer to a water system across many cities and towns throughout the basin; throughout many countries, a trade route can also refer to; (3) bearing contact with the change of the tangible and intangible cultural heritage, interaction and exchange, constitute the common characteristics of the culture to bring cultural remains, diversity and typical derivative colorful look and internal closely related; (4) involves to the huge economic value and complexity of the natural ecosystem. These feature makes it in history, geography, sociology, and other disciplines have considerable research value.

1. History. On the history, from the Han Dynasty Silk Road opened up to flourishing trade and frequent cultural exchanges in the Tang Dynasty Silk Road, rise of the Yuan Dynasty Grassland, Maritime Silk Road flourished in the Song and Ming dynasties, until the decline of the Silk Road on today, it’s history throughout China’s. Research significance of the Silk Road is not only confined itself, it also contribute to our understanding and evidence of the political systems, economy and culture, nation and religion of ancient China and even those in Central Asia, West Asia and Europe.
2. Geography. On the geography, the Silk Road starting with the central China, through Xinjiang province, Central Asia, West Asia, arrived in Europe and joins the North African, after a different geographical pattern with different cultural circles, the Silk Road knowledge can be used to help the study of physical geography vicissitude. It can also be used to research the relationship between the geographical environment and national cultural differences.
3. Sociology. On the sociology, the reasons and process of ethnic blend, the media and way of cultural spread, formation, differences and mutual influence of the different parts of the world cultural circles are hot research topics. And the Silk Road is a channel of economic and cultural exchanges between Chinese and Western, of course it has unusual meaning and value for the sociology.

The Value of the Silk Road Tourism Development

Silk Road culture is able to display the characteristics of tourism resources in the northwest of China and promote the whole development of the west. Cultural tourism is the best carrier of the inheritance and development of the Silk Road culture. And cultural tourism is an inevitable trend of the development of the tourism industry today. Silk Road tourism and cultural resource classification. Silk Road tourism may include: the ancient cities on the Silk Road such as Chang’an (now Xi’an), Luoyang and four counties in Hexi(now Wuwei, Zhangye, Jiuquan and Dunhuang in Gansu province) and ruins of the ancient Western Regions countries; the Silk Road grotto and Buddhist art treasures such as Dunhuang Cave, Tianshui Maijishan Grottoes, Yulin Grottoes; ruins of famous ancient pass likes Yang Guan, Yumen pass and Jiayuguan; natural scenery likes desert, oasis, snow mountains in Xinjiang province along the Silk Road. Tourism goods associated with the travel route of the Silk Road. Including diet series, crafts knit, sculptures, antique clearance Wen dish, personalized tickets, personalized merchandise, as well as “optional” postcards, stamps, etc. Silk Road culture publicity and promotion. Include organizing various tourism festival; strengthen the direct contact with the travel source markets; take full advantage of a variety of media publicity, promotion and the organization of the various types of exchanges meeting.

The Silk Road connected East Asia, Central Asia, India, West Asia, the Mediterranean and other world civilization circle. It have great significance to promote the process of world civilization and progress of human society. Today, our research and development on the Silk Road will create inestimable value.