Silk Road

The Silk Road generally refers to an overland route for silk trade, which connected China with Central Asia and India. In 1877, German geographer Ferdinand von Richthofen named this route the "Silk Road" in his book China: the Results of My travels and the Studies Based thereon, and the concept has since been popularized.

The ancient Silk Road originated from a route opened up by Zhang Qian (around 164-114BC) who was sent by Emperor Wudi of the Western Han Dynasty (206B.C.-A.D.25) to the western regions. It started from Xi'an, passed through Gansu and Xinjiang, and reached the Mediterranean via Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and other countries, with Rome as the final destination. It became a route that connected ancient Eastern and Western civilizations. For thousands of years, people along the Silk Road traded in goods and had extensive religious, po- litical, and cultural exchanges, generating a profound impact on the progress of Eastern and Western civilizations. There was also the "Maritime Silk Road" for trade by sea that started from coastal cities such as Guangzhou, Quanzhou, Hangzhou, and Yangzhou, passed through Southeast Asia and the Arabian Sea, and reached as far as the east coast of Africa.

Rather than merely a trade route, the ancient Silk Road fostered friendship. Friendly exchanges between China and other nations gave rise to the Silk Road Spirit, which promoted peace, cooperation, openness, inclusiveness, mutual learning,and mutual benefit. In 2013, China unveiled a major initiative calling for cooperation in building the "Belt & Road", reframing the ancient Silk Road in the context of a brand new era and giving it new meaning. The initiative brings back memories  of fruitful exchanges between countries along the route, and has gained wide support from the international community. In 2014, the "Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tian- shan Corridor", the eastern section of the Silk Road, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site, after a joint application by China, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan was approved. The ancient Silk Road greatly contributed to the circulation of commodi- ties, the dissemination of science and technology, the exchange of ideas, and the integration of diverse cultures on the Eurasian continent, providing inspiration for today's pursuit of world peace and development.

絲綢之路

絲綢之路，一般指陸上絲綢之路。1877年，德國地質地理學家李希霍芬在《中國》一書中把中國與中亞、中國與印度間以絲綢貿易為媒介的這條西域交通道路命名為"絲綢之路"，這一概念由此廣泛傳播。

古代絲綢之路起源于漢武帝派張騫（約前164-前114）出使西域所開辟的通道。它以西安為起點，經甘肅、 新疆，再經阿富汗、伊朗、伊拉克、敘利亞等而達地中海， 以羅馬為終點，成為連接亞歐大陸的古代東西方文明的交匯之路。數千年來，人們沿著絲綢之路進行商品、宗教、政治、文化等方面的廣泛交流，對東西方文明進步產生深遠影響。此外，還有從廣州、泉州、杭州、揚州等沿海城市出發，從南洋到阿拉伯海，甚至遠達非洲東海岸的海上貿易的“海上絲綢之路”。

古代絲綢之路是一條貿易之路，更是一條友誼之路。在中華民族同其他民族的友好交往中，逐步形成了以和平合作、開放包容、互學互鑒、互利共贏為特征的絲綢之路精神。2013年，中國提出共建“一帶一路”重大倡議，賦予古代絲綢之路以全新的時代內涵，喚起了沿線國家的歷史記憶，得到國際社會廣泛支持。2014年，中國、哈薩克斯坦、吉爾吉斯斯坦聯合申報的陸上絲綢之路東段“絲綢之路：長安-天山廊道的路網”入選世界文化遺產。古代絲綢之路為亞歐大陸商品物產大流通、科學技術大傳播、思想觀念大碰撞、多元文化大交融作出巨大貢獻，也為當今世界和平與發展提供歷史啟迪。