In 114 BC, Chinese Emperor Wudi of the Han Dynasty decided to send Zhang Qian as his envoy to the foreign states on a diplomatic mission.
Zhang Qian and his royal entourage and military guards began their journey from the capital city Chang’an (Xi’an), travelling through today’s Gansu, Xinjiang provinces, via Afghanistan, Iran, Russa, Greek to Rome in today’s Italy, and the path they first trekked soon became the trade route mainly for import jade material from West Asia to China.
For ensuring the safety of the trade, the Great Wall was extended further westwards and a military fortress town with a gate named Jade Pass was built.
Over the next two thousand years, Chinese porcelain, tea and silk products were exported to the world through the route.
In the late 19th century, a German scholar called the track “Silk Road” based on the Chinese products known by the people in West Europe at the time. Although the name fails to reflect the origin and the main products traded along the path, it has been accepted as the official name for the ancient trade link between China and Europa via the Middle East.
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Now we are going to establish a motorcycle team for the silk road journey, stay tuned for our adventure!