The Silk Road usually refers to the Western Regions opened by Zhang Qian in the Western Han Dynasty and Ban Chao in the Eastern Han Dynasty, starting from Chang'an (today's Xi'an) and Luoyang, passing through Gansu and Xinjiang, to Central Asia and West Asia, and connecting the Mediterranean land routes of various countries. This road is also known as the "Land Silk Road." Although the Silk Road was the product of the joint efforts of countries along the route to promote economic and trade development, many people believe that China's Zhang Qian twice visited the Western Regions, ushering in a new era of Sino-foreign exchanges. And successfully opened the last bead curtain between East and West. From then on, this route was used as a "national highway", and envoys and businessmen from various countries came and went in an endless stream along the road opened by Zhang Qian. From princes and nobles to beggars and prisoners, everyone has left their footprints on this road. This east-west passage closely connects the Central Plains and Western Regions with Arabia and the Persian Gulf. After centuries of continuous efforts, the Silk Road stretched westward to the Mediterranean. In a broad sense, the eastern section of the Silk Road has reached North Korea and Japan, and the western section has reached France and the Netherlands. Italy and Egypt can also be reached through sea routes, becoming a road of friendship for economic and cultural exchanges between Asian, European and African countries. The Silk Road can generally be divided into three sections, and each section can be divided into three routes: north, middle, and south. Eastern section: from Chang'an (Luoyang) to Yumenguan and Yangguan. (Opened in the Han Dynasty) Middle section: from the west of Yumen Pass and Yang Pass to Congling. (Opened in the Han Dynasty) Western section: from Congling to the west through Central Asia, West Asia and to Europe. (Opened in the Tang Dynasty) When choosing the routes in the eastern section, the safety and convenience of crossing Liupan Mountain and crossing the Yellow River should be considered. The three lines all start from Chang'an, converge at Wuwei and Zhangye, and then along the Hexi Corridor to Dunhuang. The northern route of the eastern section: from Jingchuan, Guyuan, Jingyuan to Wuwei, the shortest route, but there is a lack of water and difficult supplies along the way. Southern line: from Fengxiang, Tianshui, Longxi, Linxia, ??Ledu, Xining to Zhangye, but the journey is long. Middle line: From Jingchuan to Pingliang, Huining, Lanzhou and Wuwei, the distance and supplies are moderate. The middle section is mainly the routes in the Western Region, which change from time to time with the changes in oases and deserts. The third line has many branches and branches in the middle, especially in the Four Towns of Anxi (established in 640). The South Road (also known as the Khotan Road): starts from Yangguan in the east, along the southern edge of the Taklimakan Desert, passing through Ruoqiang (Shanshan), Hotan (Khotan), Yarkand, etc. to Congling. Yangguan Ruoqiang (Shanshan) Qiemo Niya (Jingjue), one of the thirty-six countries in the Western Regions during the Western Han Dynasty. Hotan (Khotan) Middle Road: Starting from Yumen Pass, along the northern edge of the Taklimakan Desert, passing through Lop Nur (Loulan), Turpan (Cheshi, Gaochang), Yanqi (Weili), Kuqa (Qiuci), Aksu (Gumo), Kashgar (Shule) to Fergana Basin (Dawan). Yumenguan Loulan (annexed by Shanshan, now belongs to Ruoqiang County, Xinjiang) Turpan (Gaochang): Gaochang Old City, Jiaohe Old City, Yaer Lake Old City, Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Cave Yanqi (Weili) Kuqa ( Qiuci): Kizil Thousand Buddha Caves, Kumutula Thousand Buddha Caves Aksu (Gumo) Kashgar (Shule) North Road: Starting from Anxi (Guazhou), passing through Hami (Yiwu), Jimusar (Ting) State), Yining (Ili), until broken leaves. Hami, Urumqi is rich in Hami melons with waterways crisscrossing it. The Mongolian word means beautiful grassland Yining (Ili). The western section of Suiye from the west of Congling to Europe is the western section of the Silk Road. Its north, middle and south lines are respectively the same as those in the middle section. Corresponding to three-wire connection. Among them, the route via the Caspian Sea to Constantinople was opened in the Middle Tang Dynasty. Northern line: Along the north coast of the Aral Sea, Caspian Sea, and Black Sea, passing through Suiye, Talos, Astrakhan (Itil) and other places to Istanbul (Constantinople). Urumqi Almaty (now a city in Kazakhstan) Zhambyl (Taros, a city today in Kazakhstan) Tokmak (a city in today's Kyrgyzstan) Salai (Russia) Saqr Istanbul (Constantinople , today's Turkish city) Middle line: Starting from Kashgar, it goes through the Fergana Basin, Samarkand, Bukhara, etc. to Mashhad (Iran), where it joins the southern line. Kashgar or Kashgar Peshawar: Kharakhorin Avenue Kabul Bamiyan: The famous Bamiyan Buddhas were destroyed by the Taliban in 2001. Southern route: Starting from the Pamir Mountains, it can enter Pakistan and India from Kashmir, and can also go to Europe from Peshawar, Kabul, Mashhad, Baghdad, Damascus, etc. Mashhad (Iran) Sabzevar Hecatompylos (probably located between present-day Damgan and Shahrud, Iran.) Tehran Hamadan Kermanshah Khan Bakuba (Iraq) Baghdad Abu Gharib Fallujah: along the Euphrates River to Aleppo. Ramadi Aleppo (Syria) Damascus Adana (Turkey) Konya Antioch Bursa Constantinople (Istanbul) The Maritime Silk Road is an extension of the land Silk Road. The main reason for its formation is China The southeastern coast has many mountains and few plains, and internal travel is difficult. Therefore, many people have been actively developing towards the sea since ancient times. In addition, in order to solve the inconvenience of the land route, because the land route is affected by the terrain, traveling to the Western Regions will pass through many areas that are less suitable for human habitation. In addition, there are monsoons on the east coast of China in summer and winter to aid navigation, so there are also more sea routes to the Continental convenience. This exchange existed in ancient China, especially among the residents of the southeastern coast of China.

The Silk Road not only transported silk, but also exported goods such as porcelain, sugar, and hardware, and imported goods such as spices, medicinal materials, and gemstones. The Han Dynasty had a sea route to North Korea and Japan. During the Western Han Dynasty, the sea route between China and the Indian Peninsula had been opened. From the south, it started from Rinan, Xuwen, Hepu Tongdu Yuan Kingdom, Fugandulu Kingdom, Huangzhi Kingdom, Pi Zong Kingdom, and Jichengbu Kingdom (today's Sri Lanka). During the Eastern Han Dynasty, "In the ninth year of Emperor Huan's Yanxi reign (166), King Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (161-180) of the Qin Dynasty sent envoys from Rinan to offer ivory, rhinoceros horns, and tortoise shells, and the beginning was Tongyan.") This was the first exchange between China and the Roman Empire recorded in history. Indian merchants came to China by sea via Sumatra and Malacca, and transported silk to India and Rome. Wei, Jin, Southern Dynasties In the fourth year of Huangwu in Eastern Wu (225), Fan Zhan, king of Funan, sent envoys to the Kingdom of Wu. It took four years to come to Eastern Wu and offer colored glaze. Sun Quan sent Zhonglang Kangtai as envoy to Funan. In the 5th year of Huangwu (226 years), merchants from the Qin Dynasty came to Jiaozhi and Jianye (now Nanjing), the capital of the state of Wu. Faxian traveled westward by land and returned to China by sea, from Domoridi in India via the Lion Kingdom and Yapati to Mount Laoshan in Shandong. Countries that trade with China: Persia, Tianzhu, Lion Kingdom, Funan, and Poli. Countries that traded with China during the Sui, Tang, and Five Dynasties: Chitu, Dandan (now Kelantan, Malaysia), Panpan, Zhenla, and Poli. After the Mid-Tang Dynasty, the Northwest Silk Road was blocked, the economy in North China weakened, the economy in South China developed day by day, and maritime transportation began to flourish. Countries that trade with China: Fulin, Dashi, Persia, Tianzhu, Lion Kingdom, Dandan, Panpan, Srivijaya. Route: Set sail from Quanzhou or Guangzhou, passing through Hainan Island, Huan Kingdom (in today's Vietnam), Mendu Kingdom, Guda Kingdom, Dragon Yamen, Luoyue Kingdom, Sri Lankan Kingdom, Heling Kingdom, Guluo Kingdom, Goguluo Kingdom, Shengdeng Kingdom, Bolu Kingdom, Lion Kingdom, Nantianzhu, Brahman Kingdom, Xindu River, Tiroluhe Kingdom, Ula Kingdom, Dashi Kingdom, Moro Kingdom, and Sanlan Kingdom. Tang people immigrated overseas. Du You of the Tang Dynasty made a summary of the South China Sea traffic in the past: "Yuan Ding (116 BC - 111 BC) sent Fubo General Lu Bode to open Baiyue and set up Rinan County, which has been visited by foreign countries since Emperor Wu. During the reign of Emperor Huan of the Later Han Dynasty, Daqin and Tianzhu all sent envoys from this route, and Wu Sunquan sent Xuanhua to serve as envoys to Zhu Ying and Zhonglang Kangtai to serve as envoys to various countries. Their experiences and rumors were recorded in hundreds of countries, and biographies were established. In the Jin Dynasty, there were more than ten countries who had access to China, including the Song Dynasty and Qi Dynasty. Since Liang Wu and Sui Yang, the envoys of various countries have surpassed those of the previous dynasties. It was re-translated in Guangzhou, Lin'an Prefecture (Hangzhou), Qingyuan Prefecture (Mingzhou, now Ningbo), Quanzhou, and Banqiao Town, Mizhou (now Yinghai Town, Jiaozhou) in the Song Dynasty. , Jiaxing Prefecture (Xiuzhou) Huating County (now Songjiang), Zhenjiang Prefecture, Pingjiang Prefecture (Suzhou), Wenzhou, Jiangyin Army (now Jiangyin), Jiaxing Prefecture (Xiuzhou) Kanpu Town (now Haiyan) and Jiaxing Prefecture (Xiuzhou) State) Shanghai Town (today's Shanghai urban area) and other places established municipal shipping departments to specifically manage overseas trade. [5] Among them, Guangzhou, Quanzhou and Mingzhou are the largest. In the late Southern Song Dynasty, Quanzhou became the world's largest port and the starting point of the Maritime Silk Road. Countries that trade with China: Champa, Chenla, Srivijaya, Kelantan, Bolini, Balinfeng, Lanmuli, Diqie, Sanyu, Dashi, Daqin, Persia, Baida, Magya, Yi There are a total of fifty-eight countries including Lu, Gulin, Xilan, Dengliumei, Zhongli, Pulu, Egentuo, Sjialiye, and Mulanpi. "Lingwai Daida" and "Zhufan Zhi" appeared, which were monographs recording the situation of countries trading with China. The countries that traded with the Mongolian Yuan Dynasty in the Yuan Dynasty: Sandao, Mindolang, Chenla, Wuzhiba, Danmaling, Rili, Marilu, Pahang, Kelantan, Dingjialu, Baduma, Jianshan, Su Lu, Banzuer, Wenlaogu, Lingshan, Huamianguo, Xiali, Manali, Shali Badan, Tuta, Hu Sili, Jiali Mata, Guli Buddha, Fangbai, Wannian Port, Tiantang, Hu Lumos and other more than 200 countries and regions. Chinese businessman Wang Dayuan sailed as far as Egypt and wrote the book "Dao Yi Zhi Lue". During the Ming Dynasty, Zheng He went to the Western Seas and visited: Champa, Java, Old Port, Manlaga, Mulu, Sumatra, Nagui, Boni, Little Glen, Pahang, Mount Ceylon, Three Islands, Sulu, and Luzon , Liushan, Dawai, Baduma, Kochi, Nanwuli, Guli, Kanbaye, Mukelang, Ganbari, Abobadan, Ading, Tianfang, Mixi, Malindi, Hulumosi , Zufa'er, Mulun, Mu Gudushu, Mo'er Ganbie, Bulawa, Manbasa, Mulanpi and other countries. "Minghuidian" records 130 tributary countries, including 62 countries in the southeastern sea, including Annan, Sulu, Ceylon, Korea, Japan, Ryukyu, Java, etc.