Where is a city submerged by wind and sand, known as an oasis deep in the Gobi Desert?

Dunhuang, also called Shazhou in ancient times

It is indeed like a small boat stranded on the vast sea of ??sand, waiting to be discovered and start an extraordinary voyage. In 121 BC, this long wait was finally answered. In the spring of this year, the Huns who had been defeated in the Hexi Corridor hurriedly withdrew westward. The high-spirited Huo Qubing pursued them all the way to Dunhuang before reining in their horses. This was the symbol of the Han Dynasty's comprehensive counterattack against the Xiongnu, and it was also the starting point of the legendary voyage to this sandy oasis. It was given a meaningful name, Grand Glory, which is Dunhuang.

Zhang Qian went to the Western Regions as an envoy for the second time

After expelling the Xiongnu, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty began to quickly rebuild the ruling order of the Hexi Corridor, building the Great Wall, setting up passes, deploying troops, and emigrating Reclamation... When the war began to subside and the people's morale calmed down, Zhang Qian and his envoy set out from Chang'an again in great force. This time he brought the majesty of the Han Dynasty and conveyed his willingness for peaceful trade with generous gifts. A trade route connecting the Western Regions and the Central Plains across the Hexi Corridor began to take shape, and Dunhuang, which was both a bifurcation point and an intersection, became active from then on.

In addition to silk, Chinese tea and porcelain have also become highly sought-after "hard currencies" around the world.

Profit-seeking businessmen came to China one after another. They crossed the snow-capped mountains, crossed the desert, crossed the grassland, and drifted across the sea. All difficulties and dangers could not stop their footsteps. As a result, roads connecting China and the world were paved by generations of business travelers, and these trade routes were collectively called the Silk Road. China's silk production technology was not gradually introduced to Western countries until the middle of the 6th century AD. Before that, the Western world's desire and demand for silk could only be satisfied in China.