For such a long and hard journey, it is a masterpiece decorating Chinese culture and history. Also, it is rented as a key opening the communication from all over the world. How it was maintained? How it reached such a great effect? Today, Let us walk close to it and research carefully!

Maintaining the Road

Even at the height of its prosperity, the Silk Road was not a single track, except where it was forced through narrow defiles such as the Iron Gates at Tiemenguan near Korla and its namesake at the rather wider Buzgala Gorge in Uzbekistan, or across narrow passes in the Pamirs or Tian Shan. Rather, it was an interconnecting network of tracks, established over the centuries and familiar only in parts to experienced caravaneers who knew and understood the terrain. In sections and at times of imperial strength it was well maintained, for example the Persian Royal Road under the Achaemenids and the Hexi Corridor under the Han and Tang dynasties.

Construction on the Silk Road

With this road is enlarging, great empires and rulers of vision who appreciated the value of trade ordered the construction of garriors and caravanserais at regular intervals, for example in the west under the Abbasids and Ottomans, in the East, again, under the great Tang Dynasty. At other times imperial control collapsed and chaos ensured, with caravans threatened by bandits and natural hazards. Only under the Mongols in the 13th and early 14th centuries was entire length of the Silk Road briefly united under a single, efficient system, best exemplified by the Mongol shuudan or postal relay service, in which fast horses were maintained in prime condition at regular stations, ready to speed military orders and political news from one end of the empire to the other.

Transportation Appeared in Silk Road
With the development of this road, most caravan transport was carried by road, but there were instances when bats, ferries or rafts were either necessary. Elsewhere river transport could be a useful and economic way of transporting goods through difficult terrain where roads were poor or dangerous, for example eastwards on the Wei River or the Huang He in Gansu, where rafts of inflated goatskins are still used today or westwards on the Oxus in the region of Termez.

Silk Road is hard but brings too much surprise to the world development!

For the great Silk Road, there are too much to tell and convey. Because of the difficulty and expense of long distance commerce, life on the road will also become dazzling and different. Today, let us walk closer to Silk Road and research the deep mystery of it.

Exotic Food
The Golden Peaches of Samarkand may have been deemed royal, but they were far from the only exotic fruits and foodstuffs valued by the emperor court. Dates, unknown in China, were brought died and sugared from the Middle East, while watermelons from Hami were transported east, preserved in lead containers packed with ice from the Tian Shan. Still more valued were the mare-teat grapes of Kuqa, brought east and planted at Changan in around AD640. Grapes were a novelty to the Tang, a society which produced many types of alcohol from rice and other grain, but which soon learnt to plant vineyards and produce wine. Different fruits and different food were transported and imported. At that time, the grain in China also happened a large changing.

Beasts of Burden
Goods moved slowly across Asia, travelling about 40 kilometers a day, the distance typically covered by a fully loaded camel in about eight hours, depending on the terrain. On the flatter sections, camel-drawn carts would have completed the entire journey between Changan and Mediterranean. Instead, goods were moved in stages, passing through the hands of different caravan-drivers and on the backs of different beasts of burden from oasis to oasis, each transfer of ownership increasing the cost to the purchaser and enriching local merchants and transport guilds.

Domestic Animals
Domestic Animals also formed an important part of the trade between west and east. The Chinese particularly valued the horses of Central Asia, and especially of the Fergana Valley, which they exchanged for silk, but they also imported Bactrian camels, asses and sheep from the plains of Central Asia. Particularly swift and dependable camels were assigned to an official called Emissary of the Bright Camel and used to carry the imperial mail. Other highly esteemed Bactrians were designed flying dragon camels and kept in the imperial stables. Camels were not just used for transport, but also prized for their lng manes, which made excellent cloth, while camel hump was considered a delicacy.

This is the basic life on the Silk Road. If you want to know more, please contact us!

Famous Silk Road contributed greatly to the cultural exchange between Chin and the West. Owing to the different places Silk Road passed and different culture it experienced, many other religious cultures were brought. As a long silk routes, this action make Silk Road become a long cultural bridge.

Religious Introduced into China through Silk Road

Together with economic and political exchange between east and West, Silk Road introduced different religions into China, including famous Buddhism, Islam and Nestorianism, etc. They plaid a very important role in Chinese culture as treasure decorating Chinese profound history and spirits of Chinese people. First, the famous and common Buddhism was introduced into China during the first century BC. In the modern days, Buddhism has become a very important region in China. With faster and large scale spreading and influence, it makes Chinese traditional culture stepped into a new stage. Experiencing different dynasties, Buddhism also stored many changes and new ideas.

Technologies Introduced into the West Countries through Silk Road

After the religions are introduced into China, Chinese culture activities and spirit field enlarged and developed. However, at the same time, Chinese advanced technologies also are introduced into the West Countries. During this time, the most important will be the Chinese Four Great Inventions. The introduction of paper greatly influenced the civilization and the daily life. It also solved many problems for the work. Apart from this, Gunpowder, silkworm breeding and some other advanced technologies are also introduced into the west. After the exchange of these technologies, many new skills of life and work were developed. At the same time, through the famous Silk Road, many technologies were introduced to China again. During this period, the economy and culture reached a high degree prosperous condition.

Modern Changing Life Influenced by Silk Road
With profound history and deep traditional cultural connotation, Silk Road has conducted greatly influence to the modern life. First, people learnt the exchange. Since China joined the WTO, it seemed to appear great change, culture, economy, transportation and religion. Silk Road spots have attracted loads of tourists to adventure and explore. Some languages, at this time also explored a change and influence. After the exchange, people get the complete knowledge. Improving the study to other kinds of languages is the foundation that having a better understanding other countries' culture and economy.

Silk Road is great which will attract more modern tourists to explore and study!