WearetalkingabouttheancientSilkRoad,atraderoutethatissurroundedbymuchmysticismandromance.Itevokestantalizingimagesofcamelladencaravansridingintothesunsetorlively,colorfulexoticbazaarsinyourmindrightnow.Infact,thetransportofgoodsviathebumpyancienttradepathswasoftenanythingbutromanticandledpackanimalsandmerchantsoverlong,impassableterrainthroughoftenhostilelandsandweathertothelimitsoftheirresilience.
Butfromtoday’spointofviewweknow:intheend,thehardshippaidoffequallyfortradersandthosewhostayedathome,andcertainlynotjustinmaterialterms.Asdescendants,westillenjoythefruitsofthisancient,long-distancetradeconnection,oftenwithoutbeingawareofit.
GansuProvince–ACradleoftheHistoricSilkRoad
Tolearnmoreaboutthelegendarytraderouteitisbesttogobacktoitsplaceoforigin.Andthisisbestdonewheremanyimpressivetraitsofthepastcanstillbefoundtoday,namelyinChina’snorthwest,ormoreprecisely,intheprovinceofGansu.
Thus,IamheadingforthecityofJiayuguanasmyfirststop.With250,000inhabitants,JiayuguanisasmalltownbyChinesestandards.However,itsuniquegeographicallocationhasgivenitaspecialplaceinhistory.
JiayuguanislocatednearthewesternendoftheHexiCorridor(orGansuCorridor),a1,000km-longaccumulationplain,actingasanaturalpassageleadingfromnorthwesttosoutheast,upto100kilometerswide,surroundedbyhighmountainsfrombothnorthandsouth.Onthesouthliesthesnow-cappedQilianMountain,anorthernfoothilloftheQinghai-TibetPlateau,arangeofhillswhichisessentialforsurvivalintheregion.AmuralinatombinJiayuguan’snortheastsuburbdepictsatraderwithhiscamelfromCentralandWestAsiainhistraditionalgarb.Itsmeltwaterfeedsthetwogreatrivers–Heihe,andShule,whichflowthroughtheHexiCorridor.Theyhaveensuredthatnumerousgreenoasesandgraduallylargersettlementshaveformedhereinthevalley,betweentheotherwisebarrendesertandarid,parchedlandscape.Oneofthesettlementsistoday’sJiayuguan.
LocatedatthewesterntipoftheHexiCorridor,JiayuguanformsacrucialbottleneckthroughwhichalltravelersoftheancientSilkRoadoncehadtopassontheirwaytotoday’sXi’an(formerlyChang’an),theoriginandterminusoftheancienttraderoute.
JiayuguanowesitsnametotheJiayuPass,literallymeaning“PasstothePraisedValley,”whichwasoncethewesternmosttransitpointoftheGreatWall.ItwasherethathistorictravelersfromtheWestsuchasMarcoPolofirstsetfootontheirpathtoChina’sinlandregions.
Therearestilldiscernablecluesandmarkersscatteredaroundthearea,whichdenoteearlyanddeeplevelsofinteractionsandexchangesbeyondjustbusinessbetweenthelocalsandthetraders.Toexplorefurther,weheadsouthwest,about20kilometersoutsidethecity.
1,700-year-oldWitnesses
Infrontofthebuswindow,abarren,inhospitableplainliesatthebaseofthemountains.Formorethan1,700years,therewasanarchaeologicaltreasureburiedbeneathit,whosediscoveryintheearly1970swouldopenanothersmallyetfascinatingwindowintoanotherfacetoftheillustrioushistoryoftheoldSilkRoad.
In1972,localscameacrosstracesofancientmasonryhere.Finally,archaeologicalexcavationsweretodigupwhattodayiscelebratedas“thelargestundergroundartgalleryintheworld.”
Here,undertheruggedsteppe,researchersidentifiedahugecemeterywith1,400ancienttombs,whichtheydatedtothetimebetweentheWeiandtheJindynasties(220-420).Sofaronly18ofthegraveshavebeenexcavated;twoofthem,gravesnumbersixandseven,areaccessibletothepublic.
Wefeelourwaydownthenarrowstonestepstotombnumbersix,afamilytombinwhich,accordingtotheresearchers,aseniorofficialandhiswifemighthavebeenburiedonce.
The11-meter-highstoneentrancewallalonerevealstheimpressivecraftsmanshipwithwhichthetombhadoncebeendecoratedaroundthethirdcentury.
Figuresinfairytales,mythicalcreatures,aswellasimageryofclouds,fire,andwaterwereartfullycarvedintothered,ocher,andanthracite-coloredbricksoftheentrance.Anevenmoresplendidculturaltreasure,however,lieshiddeninsidethetomb.
Tombnumbersixcontainsthreenarrowburialchambersarrangedonebehindtheotheroveralengthof20meters,eachonlyabouttwometerswide.Inthemasonryofthevault,theoriginalarchitectsembeddedatotalof136paintedbrickstones,eachofthemdecoratedwithvigorousbrushstrokes.
Theregion’sdryclimateandtheunusuallyslowoxidationthatgoeswithithaveensuredthattheantiquepaintingsarestillastonishinglywellpreservedtoday,some1,700yearsaftertheircreation.Suchpaintingshavebeenfoundineightoftheexcavatedgraves,atotalof760illustrationshavebeendiscoveredthusfar.
Theminimalistyetvibrantpaintingsinred-andblackonawhitebackgroundshowscenesfromtheeverydaylifeofthosenowburiedandthereforegiveadetailedinsightintotheeverydaylivesofthepeopleandthestateofaffairsatthetime.Theyshoweatinghabitsandeverydayerrands,butalsoleisureactivitiesandculturaldistractionsthuspaintingarare,unparalleledanddetailedzeitgeistofthebygoneera.Theimagestellofsowingandharvestingmethods,ancientcattlebreedingandhuntingtechniques,depictclothingstyles,commonmeansoftransportation,musicalinstruments,andevenoldboardgames,aswellascamel-riddentradersfromCentralandWestAsiaintheirtraditionalgarb,whichimpressivelyhighlightthestronginfluencesthatthealreadylivelytradeviatheSilkRoadhadatthattimeonthesocialandculturallifeofthepeople.Thetombpaintingsshowhowthelocalintertwinedwiththeforeign,andprovehowtheentireregionreachedanewintellectualandculturalawakeningthankstotheflourishingtrade.TheGhostCityYardangwasancientChina’snorthgatealongtheSilkRoadleadingtotheWesternRegions.PhotosbyYuXiangjunMoreThanJustaTradeRoute
Infact,aswenowknow,theoldSilkRoadwasmuchmorethanameretradelink.
InthesecondcenturyB.C.,theHanemperorWudi,whocommissionedtheenvoyZhangQiantoexploretheundevelopedareasbeyondtheYumenPassinthenameoftheimperialcourt,laidtheformalfoundationsforthelaternetworkofroutesthatwouldconnectthreeofthemostimportantculturalregionsofAsiaatthattime,namelythePersianEmpire,India,andChina.
Afterthepreviouslyisolatedtraderouteshadbeenofficiallymadeaccessible,secured,andextendedforthefirsttimeunderEmperorWudi,theyweretobecomethenewarteriesofexchangebetweentheeasternandthewesternworldinthecourseofthefollowingcenturies.
ThelargestvolumeoftradealongtheSilkRoadwashandledduringtheTangDynasty(618-907),especiallyinitsfirsthalf.AtthattimeChinaimportedlargequantitiesofgold,preciousstones,ivory,perfumes,dyes,andtextilesfromtheOccident.TheArabsmeanwhileboughtfurs,ceramics,spices,jade,bronze,lacquerware,iron,andsilkfromtheChineseempire.
SilkinparticularfascinatedthepeopleintheWesternworld,whereitwouldbesoldathighprices.ThisisoneofthereasonswhytheGermangeographer,cartographer,andexplorerFerdinandFreiherrvonRichthofencoinedthename“SilkRoad”fortherouteinhiswritings,anamethathasattainedlegendarystatusandremainsattributedtotheroutetopresentday.
Buttheexchangeofgoodswasunintentionallyaccompaniedbysomethingelsethatwastohavealastingimpactonourworld:thetransferoftechnologicaldevelopments,culturalexchanges,andnewideas.
Thus,glassgoodsandtheiradvancedproductiontechniquesincreasinglyreachedChinafromArabiaviatheSilkRoad.Meanwhile,thecraftsmanshipofpaperproductionbeganitsepoch-signifyingmarchfromChina,firsttotheArabworld,andthenallthewaytoEurope,whereitwastogiveadecisiveboosttothedevelopmentofcivilization.However,unliketoday,inthepast,traderstraveledwiththeirgoods,andsoinevitablybecameintensivelyacquaintedwiththelivesandeverydayhabitsofpeopleintheforeigncountriesthattheypassedthroughalongtheirway,whichmadethembecameaforerunnerofculturalexchanges.
Dunhuang–APearlofBuddhism
HowdeeplynewideasandspiritualinnovationsfromafartookrootinChinacanbewitnessedinfewplacesasimpressivelyasinthecityofDunhuang,whichliesatthewesternendoftheHexiCorridorneartheborderofXinjiangUygurAutonomousRegion.
Dunhuangwasoriginallyestablishedin111B.C.byEmperorWudioftheHanDynastyasaborderposttodefendtheChineseempireagainstexternalenemies.ButsoonDunhuangbecameoneofthemostimportanttradinghubsoftheoldSilkRoad,asthenorthernandsouthernroutesoftheSilkRoadconvergedhereeastoftheTaklamakanDesert.Thus,DunhuangdevelopedintoameltingpotofdifferentculturesandreligionsandalsobecamethegatewaythroughwhichBuddhismforthefirsttimefounditswaytoChina.
Today,thetown,whichhasaround190,000inhabitants,livesmainlyofftourism.Visitorsfromallovertheworldcometovisittheworld-famousMogaoGrottoes,about25kilometerssoutheastofthecity,whichhavebeenlistedasaUNESCOWorldHeritageSitesince1987.
Betweenthe4thand12thcenturies,Buddhistmonksdugaround1,000cavesintothesandstonerocks,whichaveraged17metersinheight,adornedthemwithcolorfulBuddhistmotifs,modeledhugeBuddhastatuesfromwoodandclay,andpaintedfiligreemuralsinsidethecaves.
AfterthedeclineoftheoldSilkRoad,whichbeganatthebeginningoftheSongDynasty(960-1279),thecavesystemwasforgottenforcenturiesbeforeitreturnedtotheinternationallimelightthankstothediscoveryoftheDaoistpriestWangYuanlu.Wang,in1900,foundabout50,000documentsfromthe4thto11thcenturiesthatmonkshadwalledintoacavein1036,mostprobablytoprotectthemfromthemaraudingMongolhordes.
TheMogaoGrottoesarealsocalled“ThousandBuddhaCaves,”ofwhichnearlyhalf(492)havebeenwellpreserved;apartofthemisaccessiblefortourists.
Thecaveswereonceusedasdecorativeshrinesforstoringreligiouswritings,amongotherthings.TheintricatelyartisticpaintingsinsidewerealsodesignedtofacilitatemeditationandservedasvisualrepresentationsofthesutrasandthusasdescriptivemnemonicsofBuddhiststories,whichwerealsointendedtogiveilliteratepeopleanintroductiontoBuddhistteaching.
NorthIndianBuddhism,alongwithlocalphilosophiessuchasTaoismandConfucianism,rosetobecomeoneofChina’sthreetraditionalmainreligiousbeliefs,reflectingearlyintellectualopennessofChinesethoughttoforeignideas.
DeclineandRebirth
IncreasedChineseseatrade,theemergenceofnewmarketsinSoutheastAsia,risingcustomsrequirementsoftheArabs,anddwindlingriversaroundtheTaklamakanandLopNordesertsinthemiddlepartoftheSilkRoadfinallyheraldedthedeclineoftheterrestrialSilkRoadaroundthemiddleofthe10thcentury.
Inthe21stcentury,tradetendstobuildmuchlessintensivepersonalbridgesthanitdidinthepast.Today,shipsareloadedbyChineseworkersinChinaandunloadedbylocalcounterpartsintheUnitedStatesorEuropeandviceversa.Thegoodsthereforetravelwithouttheirtradersandthuswithoutthepreviouslyunavoidablemutualimmersioninrespectiveforeigncultures.
However,inmoderntimes,anewbusinesshasopenedupthatstillgivesustheopportunitytofollowinthefootstepsoftheoldbusinesstravellers–internationaltourism.ThoseinchargeinJiayuguanandDunhuangalsorecognizeditspotential,andthisyearfortheeighthtime,organizedaninternationaltourismfestival.
EvenintheageoftheInternet,itisstillworthwhiletoreturntotheexploratoryspiritoftheoldmerchantsoftheSilkRoad.Itisworthittotravelthousandsofkilometerstodistantregionsinpersoninordertogetinteractdirectlywiththelocalsandtheircustomsandtolettheirforeignculturehaveapersonaleffectonus,aswellastoabsorbtheirthoughtsandhabits.Inthiswaywemighteventuallytakeatleastapartofithomewithus,justliketheSilkRoadmerchantsdidintheoldtimes,andwhoknows,perhapssomethingcompletelynewwillemergefromitinourlivesandcountries,whichwillberecordedinthehistorybooksofthefuture.