The Silk Road

Xian China Silk Road

The Great Silk Road is one of the oldest routes of international trade in the world. This system of caravan routes connected Asia with the Mediterranean and European world and started from Xian in China to Rome in Italy. The ca. 6,437 kilometers (4,000 miles) network of routes was used by traders for more than 1,500 years, from when the Han dynasty of China opened trade in 130 B.C.E. until 1453 C.E.

Connecting eastern and western margins of Eurasian continent, extended routes of the Silk Road crossed China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. On the east the road led to Korea and Japan; on the west to Russia, Eastern and Western Europe; on the south to India and Middle East on south-west.

These routes highly influenced the development of trade interactions and cultural ties between the West and the East. The Silk Road served not only as route for exporting goods such as silk, spices, precious metals, minerals handicrafts, architecture and paintings but also transmitted cultural exchange including theatric performance, dance and music art. This was also a transit road with two-way movement of food, spices, animals, scientific ideas and achievements and religious values. 

At certain period of time Silk Road used to be important and quick means of disseminating information through merchants, travelers and diplomats.

It has been an important fundament of human civilization.
But the route was probably also one of the main ways that plague bacteria responsible for the Black Death pandemic in Europe in the mid-14th century moved westward from Asia.

The Silk Roads have existed for thousands of years, passing through many different empires, kingdoms, and societies throughout history. At certain times during their long history, traders could travel freely along these routes, whereas at others, travel was difficult, dangerous, or prohibited.
In China, this problem was partially dealt with by extending the Great Wall of China along the routes, or having local governments protect the road. Kingdoms along the Silk Road, such as those led by the Uyghurs and Kirghiz in the East, and Arabs in Mesopotamia, also helped bring stability to the routes.
The first centuries of the Tang Dynasty during the 7th Century were considered the Golden Age of the routes.

One of the most famous travelers of the Silk Road was Marco Polo (1254 C.E. –1324 C.E.). 

The Silk Road abruptly ended with the rise of the Ottoman Empire in 1453, which almost immediately severed trade between East and West. 

In June 2014, UNESCO designated the Chang’an-Tianshan corridor of the Silk Road as a World Heritage Site, while the Indian portion remains on the tentative site list.
This property is a 5,000 km section of the extensive Silk Roads network, stretching from Chang’an/Luoyang, the central capital of China in the Han and Tang dynasties, to the Zhetysu region of Central Asia. It took shape between the 2nd century BC and 1st century AD and remained in use until the 16th century, linking multiple civilizations and facilitating far-reaching exchanges of activities in trade, religious beliefs, scientific knowledge, technological innovation, cultural practices and the arts. The thirty-three components included in the routes network include capital cities and palace complexes of various empires and Khan kingdoms, trading settlements, Buddhist cave temples, ancient paths, posthouses, passes, beacon towers, sections of The Great Wall, fortifications, tombs and religious buildings. 

Parts of the Silk Road survive in the form of a paved highway connecting Pakistan and the Uyghur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang in China.
The Silk Road also inspired China’s Belt and Road Initiative, a global infrastructure development strategy authored by President and General Secretary Xi Jinping, to revive and extend those routes via networks of upgraded or new railways, ports, pipelines, power grids and highways. 

Check out The Silk Road

Login

User email *
Password *
User email *
Password *
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Last Page

Get listed for the Global Running Adventures Award

Are you an adventure seeking runner who has completed a self made project or is eager to start one?

Submit this 3-minute application to qualify for a FREE profile page, including your bio, achievements, past/upcoming adventure, story and cause.

Wanna give people an opportunity to participate in your exciting running project or expedition-like adventure?
Here's your chance to share it with the world for free!

You qualify for the FREE Profile Page if you meet the following criteria:

  • you have a self supported running project completed, in the making or are planning to start one
  • your project will support a good cause that relates to you personally
  • you need media, sponsors and a network to get all the possible support to succeed
  • you're enthusiastic and motivated to realize your goals! 

Just a few questions to get a better picture;-)
I'll read and respond to each and every application, and I'll get back to you within a few days.

What do you apply for? *
Who do you want to nominate? *
please fill in their name
What is the email of the person you nominate? *
please fill in their email
Fill required fields
Your name *
Your email *
Fill required fields
Stage running journey *
if you nominate someone else fill in for him/her
Fill required fields
Adventure start date *
you can change it later if you're not sure yet
Adventure finish date *
you can change it later if you're not sure yet
Fill required fields
Name of adventure *
you can change it later if you're not sure yet
Adventure description *
give a short description of your adventure idea
Where did/will the adventure take place *
you can change it later if you're not sure yet
Fill required fields
Link to adventure resources
you can fill in your website or any other resource
Why (did) you want to do this? *
give a short description of the reason for your adventure
Link to cause
you can fill in a website of a charity or any other resource
Fill required fields
Are you interested in any of these forms of partnership? *
Get full exposure to your niche for 100+ days, resulting in real long lasting relations and leads.
Do you know anyone who might be interested in partnering?
Please fill in their name and email.
When someone applies you both get a free Award event ticket:-)
Anything else you like to share?
here you can share/ask additional info about the application