Shaanxi Serving as the Transport Center in Ancient China
Known as the Silk Road Tour, the Silk Road refers to the onshore channel created by Zhang Qian during the Western Han Dynasty when he paid a visit to the western regions by starting from Chang’an (Xi’an nowadays), traveling through Gansu, Xinjiang and finally arriving at Central Asia and West Asia to connect with different countries in the Mediterranean. The road got its name as silk products accounted for a major part of all the goods shipped to the west. As for the ancient transport route exerting a profound significance in the development of world civilization, it attracts the attention of scholars from many countries in the world, resulting in the heated study and discussion regarding the Silk Road worldwide. Furthermore, a special international study called “Study on the Silk Road” was undertaken in the 20th century. Xi’an City in Shaanxi Province plays a significant role in it.
Tower of Geodetic Origin in Jingyang—geodetic origin is the geographical coordinate in China—the origin and datum point of longitude and altitude as well as the geographical center of China.
Shaanxi took the leadership in the national economy and culture in a long run and in opening to the outside world before the Tang Dynasty, which was, to a large extent, determined by its location as the national transport center. Its determination as the transport center of Shaanxi was closely related to its geographical location.
By successive practice and exploration on “reading ten thousand books and traveling ten thousand miles”, the ancient Chinese people recognized that Shaanxi was the geographical and strategic center of China. It was mainly represented by the fact that the main economic region of China was located in the eastern areas, which supported the largest population in the world; differently, the vast western part of China served as the frontier defense region related to safety and survival of the nation; these two regions combined in the ancient city Chang’an in Shaanxi; in addition, the grassland cultural region was in the north China where grassland nations and nomadic people prevailed while the rest of China was mainly an agricultural region in which agricultural nationalities developed their strengths. Shaanxi is the place connecting both of them. All of these manifested that Shaanxi had the precondition to become the transport center in ancient China. As early as the Qin and Han dynasties, the unified and highly centralized monarchy empire came to recognize that transport conditions, as a basis for governance, and transport development had become major administrative affairs, which made the precondition into a real advantage. Since the Qin and Han dynasties, the national transport network was formed by making chidao, zhidao and baoxiedao (a road that went through the valley of the Bao River and the Xie River) as traffic arteries which basically formed the transport layout in ancient China. In the huge transport network, each artery started from Chang’an, extending thousands of miles and connecting a broad range of regions, exerting a profound influence on society in different regions throughout history; some traffic arteries extended through many parts of the domestic region as well as beyond the borders, becoming main international arteries. Shaanxi was definitely the transport center of ancient China. The transport advantages boasted by Shaanxi were not just because of its favorable geographical position, convenience or occasion, but being richly endowed by nature. Today, Shaanxi still enjoys these advantages; the national plan for “five vertical and seven horizontal” arterial highways comes through Shaanxi, making Xi’an the center of the national “cross” artery road network once again. Shaanxi combines history and reality, clearly representing the transport advantage.
As the site of the earliest origin of human beings as well as the most important center of ancient civilization in China, Shaanxi was regarded as the center of the world by ancient people for a long period of time. Coincidently, the geodetic origin discovered by several national departments using a large amount of labor, material resources and scientific means over several years (the Chinese Geodetic Geographical Center) is located within the boundary of Shijisi Village, Yongle Town, Jingyang County, Shaanxi (34°32′27.00″N, 108°55′25.00″E), less than 20 kilometers away from Xi’an. It means that Chang’an, the world center in ancient people’s mind has nearly complete incidence with the geographical center of modern China. That is to say, Shaanxi is the center for both ancient and modern China.
With the particularly favorable traffic advantages, the deep hinterland Shaanxi Province was ever a Chinese center for all manners of exchanges over a considerably long historical period. On a modern Chinese map, Shaanxi is the province with the most neighboring provinces (eight provinces and regions) in China; whether in ancient or modern times, all regions have their own regional cultures. With many different cultures surrounding it and a convenient traffic condition, Shaanxi is subject to different cultural shocks and influences. In addition, these shocks and influences are not temporary but have always run through the ancient history of Shaanxi Province. Shaanxi exchanges products continuously with the surrounding areas; is influenced and nurtured in ideological and spiritual aspects; draws substantial cultural benefits; and even assimilates many ethnic minorities in blood relationships, thus greatly enriching and strengthening itself. It can be said that from the early cultural stages of the Zhou and Qin dynasties, the main culture of Shaanxi Province made progress through the exchange and integration with cultures of neighboring areas over the years, and finally became the richest and most profound regional culture in ancient times. Therefore, it stands out in multiple cultures throughout the country, which make Shaanxi assume the important duty of being the Chinese cultural backbone and be a cultural pillar in Chinese history.
If the unique geographical and convenient traffic conditions facilitated Xi’an in becoming the cultural center of ancient China, the blazing of the Silk Road undoubtedly made Xi’an the pilot of opening to the outside world in ancient China. Geographically, the Silk Road is the westward extension of the main traffic arteries in China to connect with the main lines of foreign countries. Since Chang’an City was the traffic hub in China, it was undoubtedly the starting point for the Silk Road. Since Chang’an City was the starting point for the Silk Road, as an inland capital of China, it became the most internationalized city in China and the most famous exchange center between China and foreign countries.
It is not accidental that Xi’an became the starting point for the Silk Road. Similarly, it is not accidental that Zhang Qian from Shaanxi opened the Silk Road. Before Zhang Qian was sent to western regions on a diplomatic mission, people from Shaanxi had once tried to go abroad. The story is as follows: King Mu of the Zhou Dynasty from Shaanxi led his officers, lifeguards and Zao Fu, the leader of the Qin tribe, to travel westward in eight-horse-drawn carriages and they met the Fairy Mother Goddess in Yaochi. This is known as the story of “A Journey of King Mu of the Zhou Dynasty to the West”. The travel route of King Mu of the Zhou Dynasty was about 17,500km in total and it took about two years.
Some people believe that the destination of the journey was almost to the grassland area of Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia. Some scholars put forward that King Mu of the Zhou Dynasty left his footprints in Central Europe. The details about the destination of King Mu of the Zhou Dynasty and the identity of the Fairy Mother Goddess have remained under debate in academic circles. However, this beautiful legend reflects the strong exploratory spirit and open attitude of the ancient people of Shaanxi Province. It is this exploratory spirit and open attitude that facilitated Zhang Qian’s achievements of “opening the Silk Road” in the Han Dynasty.
