Zhang Qian Opening the Silk Road Since the Han Dynasty

Now, when it comes to the Silk Road, Zhang Qian into people’s mind first. Zhang Qian is famous since he was sent to western regions on diplomatic missions. Zhang Qian and his epic deeds made him another great man from Shaanxi, besides Sima Qian, who made great historical contributions to China.

Ceramic camel of the Han Dynasty

Zhang Qian was born in Chenggu County of Shaanxi Province. According to historical records, he was invincible, broad-minded and had good faith. After Emperor Wudi of Han ascended the throne, in order to fight against the Huns together with the Yuezhi Tribe, who lived in the western regions, he sent Zhang Qian to these regions on diplomatic missions twice, in 138BC and 119BC Though the actual intentions of the missions were not reached each time, the visit enabled the Han Dynasty to establish formal relationships with the countries in the western region, and become acquainted with a great deal of information about the politics, economy, military, geography, and custom of these countries. This information played a great role in the fight against the Huns by the Han Dynasty alone. Victory in this fight cleared the way for the traffic between China and the western countries and the road between China and these western regions, i.e., the Silk Road, was formally opened.

Zhang Qian’s Tomb in Chenggu County

Zhang Qian was sent twice to western regions on diplomatic missions. This completed the connection of the road between Asia and Europe for the first time and joined the Chinese civilization in East Asia, the Indian civilization in South Asia, the Persian civilization in West Asia and the Greco-Roman civilizations in Europe, realizing the great exchanges between the eastern and the western countries and promoting the development of global civilization. Meanwhile, the basic principle of “equality and friendly co-existence” was established through these diplomatic practices, which laid the ideological foundation for future diplomatic activities between these countries, provided a basis for the formation and development of present global diplomatic activities, and had a profound overall influence.

Of course, Zhang Qian would never have thought that his shallow footsteps on the grasslands and the Gobi desert would have such a profound influence in the history of the eastern and western countries. The people who have benefited from “the Silk Road” will never forget Zhang Qian. Later generations built a tomb for him in his hometown (Raojiaying Village, Chenggu County, Shaanxi Province) and they carved sculptures for him in Chang’an City, the starting point of the ancient Silk Road. More recently, as a part of the Silk Road, his tomb has been nominated as a candidate for the World Cultural Heritage List and his sculpture outside the Yuxiang Gate of Xi’an City has become the symbol for the starting point of the ancient Silk Road.

At the beginning of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Silk Road was often blocked because of invasions by the Northern Huns. For this reason, Emperor Zhangdi of Han sent Ban Chao, who was also from Shaanxi, (Anling Town, Fufeng County) to the western regions on a diplomatic mission. Ban Chao drove the Northern Huns away from western regions together with other countries in western region and the Silk Road was opened again. What’s more, Ban Chao sent his assistant Gan Ying to Daqin (ancient Rome) which was another impressive feat in the history of diplomatic relationships between China and foreign countries. The two greatest powers in the eastern and western world knew and admired each other, and it was the Chinese people who firstly sent envoys to contact and communicate, which was one of the significant events in the history of the world. Gan Ying trudged westwards and finally reached the Persian Gulf. Even though he did not cross the sea to Rome, he was a famous person who went the furthest westwards in recorded history over a very long period of time.

During the two thousand years following the opening of the Silk Road, people did not give it a unified and fixed name. The traffic road which was mainly used for the silk trade among China in the Han Dynasty, the south and west of Central Asia, and India, was called “Silk Road” in the book China (1877) written by the German geographer Ferdinand Paul Wilhelm Richthofen. In the book Ancient Silk Road between China and Syria (1910) written by the German historian Hermann, according to archaeological materials newly discovered, the “Silk Road” extended to the eastern coast of the Mediterranean and Anatolia, and the basic meaning of “Silk Road” was determined: it is the land-borne trade road from ancient China to West Asia, Europe and North Africa through Central Asia.

Gilt Bronze Silkworm

China is the first country where the silkworms are raised and silks are woven, and the silk cloth production was widespread throughout the country throughout the Qin and Han dynasties. Meanwhile, it exported a large quantity of goods in the earliest time and even sold goods to the Roman Empire. There were special markets to sell the silk cloth from China in Rome. The nobles spared no expense in buying the silk cloth as the embroidered finery was fashionable among the rich, and the members of the Senate were proud of wearing the silk gowns. It is said that the famous Roman Emperor Caesar often wore silk gowns in the theater and it made quite a stir since it was extremely luxurious; Queen Cleopatra of Egypt often attended banquets in glamorous and gorgeous silk clothing. From the viewpoint of many historians at that time or later, the popularity of the luxurious Chinese silk fostered an atmosphere of luxury in the Roman Empire. Some even think that one cause of the overthrow of the Roman Empire was the outflow of too much gold and silver in order to import great quantities of Chinese silk cloth. After a long period, since a great deal of Chinese silk had been exported, the silkworm raising, silk reeling and waving technologies were spread to foreign countries, which had a significant influence on changing costumes and the daily life of many nations. The designation “Silk Road” reflects the significance of silk in the history of Chinese cultural dissemination to foreign countries. So far, silk fabrics are still one of the products which China contributes to the world. It is widely spread and contains the contributions of Chinese people to the world civilization.