Silk Road
Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
- For modern-day trade in China, see Shopping in China
The Silk Road (丝绸之路 sī chóu zhī lù), also known as the Silk Route, is not a single road, but a network of historical trade routes across Asia from China to Europe. One poem calls it "The Golden Road to Samarkand".
In 2014, UNESCO added "Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor" to their World Heritage List. This is a 5000-km (about 3300 miles) stretch from Chang'an (now called Xi'an) in central China to the Tianshan mountain range along the border between China and Central Asia. The western end is the region once known as Zhetysu, now divided between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan; its main cities are Almaty and Bishkek. This was only the first of several applications for Silk Road routes; several more are being planned but each nation can nominate only one candidate a year so it will take time to get through the whole list.
Another section, "Silk Roads: Zarafshan-Karakum Corridor" through Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, from the Zeravshan Valley to around Merv, was added in 2023.
Many sites along the historic overland routes are already on the UNESCO list. At the two ends, Xi'an and Istanbul are both listed. In between Samarkand, Bukhara, Merv, Tabriz, Damascus and others are on the list. Several of the great ports on the maritime routes are also listed.
UnderstandCaravans have been travelling the Silk Road for over 2000 years; Chinese silk was reaching Rome and Roman glass was reaching China before 100 BCE.
PrepareThis is not an easy route or one for the novice traveller. Consult a travel medicine specialist about vaccinations and about medicine to take along.
Get inIn 2013, China announced the Belt and Road Initiative to revamp the historical Silk Road route in order to increase its economic collaboration by creating links with foreign markets.
Overland routesThere were multiple interlinked routes. The map shows the main route from Xi'an to Damascus in yellow with some extensions in green.
Maritime Silk RoadBy no means all trade went by the overland caravan trails; there was also a great deal of traffic by sea.
SleepThe traditional inns of the area are called caravanserai. They are built around a walled courtyard and have stables for the horses and camels.
Stay safeHistorically, many of the people in this region have been nomadic herdsmen, some still are, and even in the cities tribal loyalties may run strong, which implies at least:
See also
Sources and licences
- Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Silk Road" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons