Where did the ancient Silk Road start and end?

The ancient Silk Road started in Chang 'an or Luoyang and ended in Daqin.

Generally speaking, the starting point of the Silk Road is in Chang 'an. Because Zhang Qian, the first person who opened the Silk Road, was from the Western Han Dynasty, and the capital of the Western Han Dynasty was in Chang 'an at that time, to some extent, we all thought that the starting point of the Silk Road was in Chang 'an. However, in the Eastern Han Dynasty, because the capital of the Eastern Han Dynasty was Luoyang, the starting point of the Silk Road in the Eastern Han Dynasty was Luoyang.

Unlike the starting point of the Silk Road, the end of the Silk Road is in Daqin. But this Daqin is not another Daqin. Qin empire was not founded by Qin Shihuang. Daqin, which we are talking about here, is the collective name of ancient China for the Roman Empire and the Near East. But in fact, China did not reach Rome in ancient times. In the Eastern Han Dynasty, in 97 AD, Ban Chao led about 7,000 people to the Western Regions and arrived in the Caspian Sea. Ban Chao stopped at the Caspian Sea and let his men Gan Ying continue westward.

So Gan Ying went all the way to the west coast of the Mediterranean, facing the Roman Empire across the sea. But at that time, other countries were transit points between China Silk and Rome, from which they monopolized and made huge profits. Therefore, interested countries are worried that the direct opening of the trade route between China and Rome will affect their interests. So Gan Ying was discouraged from exaggerating the legend of homesickness for Gan Ying, so he didn't arrive in Rome directly.

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The name "Silk Road" was invented by the Germans.

The name "Silk Road" was invented by a German more than 100 years ago. His name is ferdinand von richthofen.

Richthofen was born in Karlsruhe on 1833. I was fascinated by geology since I was a child, and graduated from Berlin University majoring in geology. After graduating from college, he is eager to go to East Asia, which he thinks is of great adventure value.

From 1860 to 1862, Richthofen traveled to many places in Asia, such as Ceylon, Japan, Taiwan Province Province, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Myanmar. From 1868 to 1872, he made seven expeditions to China. Richthofen visited Jingdezhen, and after inspecting the process of porcelain burning, he named it Jingdezhen porcelain clay kaolin, which is the only mineral deposit named after a place name in the world.

1873, Richthofen returned to China. He spent most of his later years writing a five-volume masterpiece: China-Personal Travel and Its Research Achievements. It was in the first volume of China published by 1877 that Richthofen first put forward the concept of "Silk Road" and marked it on the map. This term was later widely adopted.

The Silk Road began in prehistoric times.

Archaeologist Wang Wei told people through a lot of historical facts: "The Silk Road should have started in prehistoric times."

Wang Wei said that from 5,000 to 4,500 years ago, West Asia invented metallurgical technology and cultivated some breeding varieties such as sheep, cattle and wheat. And these things, through the Hexi Corridor, were introduced into the Central Plains. During this period, people living in Andro culture from Central Asia to north-central Xinjiang became an important medium to communicate with the Yellow River Basin and West Asia.

A meeting with the Queen Mother of the West is recorded in Mu Zhuan. Wang Wei said that this may be a proof of exchanges between the Central Plains and the Western Regions. At that time, Qiang people intermarried with Zhou people, and national integration was further accelerated, forming Qiang Rong culture and Siwa culture west of Guanzhong. At this time, people in this area became the medium of communication between the Central Plains and the Western Regions.

During the Spring and Autumn Period, Wusun, Yueshi and other tribes were active in the Western Regions. They introduced glassware produced in West Asia and bronzes in Eurasian grassland style into the Central Plains. Since then, the Qin people in Guanzhong area have gradually become stronger, and Qin gradually controlled the Hexi Corridor, making Xirong surrender. Subsequently, Qin Shihuang unified China, established Chidao, and set up counties all over the country, which laid the foundation for Zhang Qian's mission to the Western Regions in the Western Han Dynasty.

Historical Evolution of Maritime Silk Road

The Maritime Silk Road is a maritime passage for transportation, trade and cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries in ancient times. It is mainly centered on the South China Sea, starting from Guangzhou, so it is also called the South China Sea Silk Road. The Maritime Silk Road was formed in the Qin and Han Dynasties, developed in the Three Kingdoms and Sui Dynasties, flourished in the Tang and Song Dynasties, and changed in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. This is the oldest known sea route. ?

Before the Silk Road on land, there was the Maritime Silk Road. It mainly has routes from the East China Sea and the South China Sea in China. Maritime Silk Road is the artery of ancient maritime traffic. China has been associated with the Malay Peninsula since the Han Dynasty, especially since the Tang Dynasty. As a way of communication, the most convenient way is sailing, and Sino-Western trade also uses this channel to conduct transactions. This is what we call the Maritime Silk Road.

During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the main bulk cargo transported by sea passage was silk, so everyone called this sea passage connecting East and West the Maritime Silk Road. During the Song and Yuan Dynasties, the export of porcelain gradually became the main commodity, so people also called it "the road of marine ceramics". At the same time, because the imported goods have always been dominated by spices, it is also known as the "spice road at sea".

References:

Xinhua News Agency Xinhua Silk Road-the beginning and end of the Silk Road