How does the Chang’an-Tianshan Corridor of the Silk Road differ from other World Heritage Sites?

The Silk Road is a series of trade routes established around 130 BC which remained in use till 1453 AD. It connected China and the Far East with the Middle East and Europe. The Silk Road was opened when the Han Dynasty officially began trade with the West and was only closed by the Ottoman Empire when they boycotted trade with China. The name ‘Silk Road’ indicates the thriving silk trade of the time.

The Chang’an-Tianshan Corridor is a section of the Silk Road which was about 5000 km long and links important places in China, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. China had supplied silk to the Romans, West Asia and the Mediterranean. Raw materials, food items and luxury products also made their way through these routes. Pack animals, river craft and a series of merchants would carry these products over long distances.

The influence of these routes was not limited to trade. The Silk Road connected different countries and enabled the exchange of science, technology, culture and arts.

Picture Credit : Google

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