Characteristics of the roads of the Qin Dynasty and the Roman Empire

Characteristics: There are many roads: extremely wide distribution, extending to most areas in the country. Function: conducive to the unification of the empire and consolidating the imperial territory; promoting economic and trade circulation; conducive to cultural exchanges and dissemination.

Qinzhidao, also known as Zhidao, is one of the Qinchi Roads. It was a military transportation project built by the Qin Dynasty. It started construction in the 35th year of Qin Shihuang and lasted for two and a half years. From Xianyang (the starting point is present-day Chunhua County of Xianyang) to Jiuyuan County (near present-day Baotou).

It is all compacted with loess and has a total length of 736 kilometers. In order to fight against the Xiongnu, Qin Shihuang ordered Meng Tian to lead 300,000 workers to build it. The Qinzhi Road is more than 200 years older than the Roman Avenue, which is famous in the West. It is recognized as the first highway in the world and enjoys the reputation of the originator of the world's highways.

The Qinzhi Road is the only road at home and abroad that has been recorded in history more than 2,000 years ago. It is also the earliest, straightest, longest and widest historical road in the world. It is cosmopolitan and historical. Sex, culture, and uniqueness, it is a monopoly from the perspective of tourism resources.

Roman avenues, or Roman roads, were important infrastructure construction in ancient Rome. They began in 500 BC and extended with the expansion of the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. These Roman roads were Roman armies, officials and civilians brought convenient transportation routes and facilitated overland communication and trade. These roads are composed of local trails and connected to vast, long-distance highways, connecting major towns and military bases.

Roman roads were mainly paved with stone, with some mixed with metal materials. The road is composed of curved stones, and the pavement is raised above the road surface to facilitate drainage. In addition to the pedestrian path, there are also bridleways and drainage ditches on both sides of the road. The construction of Roman roads relied on a precise surveying process, including cutting into hillsides, connecting rivers and ravines with bridges, and using wooden piles as foundations to support slippery sections of the ground.

The history of Qin Zhidao

In the thirty-fifth year of Qin Shihuang (212 BC), Qin Zhidao was ordered by Qin Shihuang to prevent and prevent the intrusion of the Xiongnu nobles in the north after unifying the six kingdoms. General Meng Tian led an army of 300,000 men and spent two years building a military passage stretching more than 700 kilometers from Shaanxi Linguang Palace in the south to Jiuyuan County, Baotou, Inner Mongolia.

Qin Zhidao is the shortest road from Xianyang to the Yin Mountains in the north. It is generally straight from north to south, so it is called "Zhi Dao". There are many opinions on the purpose of building the Qinzhi Road, among which the more popular ones include "for the convenience of patrolling", "as a channel for transporting troops" and "as a transportation line".

The project was built by Meng Tian. Due to the complex terrain and steep roads of the route, the project progressed slowly. Until Meng Tian was sentenced to death in the 37th year of Qin Shihuang (210 BC), Qin Zhidao had not yet been completely completed. After Qin II came to the throne, he continued to build Qin Zhidao, but historical materials do not record the time when Qin Zhidao was built, and there is no record of the specific route of Qin Zhidao.

After the fall of the Qin Dynasty, Qin Zhidao continued to provide transportation services until the Sui and Tang Dynasties. Some people believe that the route Zhaojun took when he left the fortress was Qin Zhidao. During the Qing Dynasty, Qinzhidao gradually fell into disuse and lost its role as a traffic artery.