Why is the Silk Road called the Road of Cultural Exchange?

Silk Road:

Before the Western Han Dynasty, Chinese silk was transported in small quantities to Central Asia, the Indian Peninsula, etc. through various ethnic groups in the northwest. After Zhang Qian went to the Western Regions as an envoy, envoys and merchants from the Han Dynasty traveled westward one after another, and a large amount of silk and silk brocades were continuously transported westward along the passage; rare and exotic objects from various countries in the Western Regions were also gradually imported into China. This land route connecting China and the West was known as the "Silk Road" in later generations.

Route map of the Silk Road:

The famous Silk Road in history started from Chang'an and headed west, passing through the Hexi Corridor in Gansu and today's Xinjiang region, and reaching as far as Central Asia , South Asia, West Asia, and even the countries on the east coast of the Mediterranean and southern Europe, North Africa and other places.

The essence of the Silk Road: The Silk Road was the result of the Western Han Dynasty government sending Zhang Qian as an envoy to the Western Regions in order to unite with the Yueshi to attack the Xiongnu, which led to an increasing number of economic and cultural exchanges between the Han Dynasty and the Western Regions. , silk fabrics were transported in large quantities to the Western Regions and then transferred to West Asia and Europe. To a greater extent, it is the consequence of civil behavior following government behavior.

After the opening of the Silk Road, Chinese silk fabrics enjoyed a high reputation in Europe, especially in the Roman Empire, which regarded Chinese silk fabrics as precious items and called China the "Silk Country"; The Roman consul Caesar once appeared in the theater wearing a silk robe, which caused a sensation. Later, wearing Chinese silk robes became a social fashion among the upper classes in Rome. ?

China’s Western Han Dynasty and Eastern Han Dynasty, from 202 BC to 220 AD, were the initial prosperous stages of China’s feudal society. They had already created Confucianism, the Great Wall, the Mausoleum of Qin Shihuang, and other cultural achievements that have global influence today. ; At that time, Europe was in the era of the Roman Empire and was at the peak of the slave society. History records the stories of Caesar the Great and Octavian and the story of Christianity; Chinese culture influenced many countries and regions in East Asia, and Roman culture also influenced The Silk Road to China was a very significant event in the history of world cultural exchanges. It was a very significant event in the history of world cultural exchanges. It was 1,500 years earlier than the opening of the new sea route. The Silk Road was a channel for ethnic minorities in ancient China’s Western Regions to receive advanced culture and understand the outside world. ?

The Han people’s iron casting, canal digging, well-drilling technology, silk fabrics, and metal tools were spread to the Western Regions, which greatly promoted the economic and cultural development of the Western Regions.

The Silk Road is the golden channel for the integration of Eastern and Western cultures. It promotes the mutual penetration of Eastern and Western civilizations, communicates human wisdom and creativity, and promotes the progress and development of human society.