History

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

FINAL SUBMISSION

History Recorded at... 7:56 PM
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Sunday, August 26, 2007

Holidays and Festivals
As already mentioned, there are about 20 nationalities (ethnic groups) living along the Silk Road. If lucky, visitors may have the chance to witness or attend some of the colorful festivals and holidays of these various nationalities.
With the exception of the Han nationality, (which has the same festivals and holidays of China), each nationality celebrates their own festivals and holidays according to their different historical, religious and cultural background.
Manchu has the same festivals with the Hans, although there are still some differences in respective celebrating styles.
Different nationalities may enjoy the same festivals as they might be influenced by the same religion. People from Bao'an, Kazak, Hui, Kergez, Tatar, Uigur, Ozbek, Dongxiang and Salar nationalities all believe in Islam. All Muslims celebrate Kaizhai Festival(Ethnic Minority of Hui, Uygur, Kazak, etc.The beginning of the tenth month on the Islamic calendar) and Guerbang Festival.
Other major celebrations are the Mongolian Nadam Festival, the Kazak Nawurezi Festival, the Tibetan Dafozhanyang Festival (Festival to Worship the Buddha statues) and the Tatar Saban Festival.

How to Visit the Families of Ethnic Groups
When traveling along the Silk Road, you may be fortunate enough to be invited to visit families of other nationalities. Different nationalities have different customs, taboos and living styles. Remembering the saying, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do..." can ensure you a smooth and pleasant visit.
The best time to visit is in the afternoon; however the busy festival period should be avoided. Orderly and clean clothing is a symbol of politeness. Short trousers, waistcoat and hats are impolite. Before your visit a culture, get some knowledge about their religion, habits, living styles and especially taboos. Some gifts should be prepared at the first visit. Don't bring things that they would consider taboo and don't touch the utensils in their houses. When the hosts treat you with their local food, it is considered impolite to refuse it. If you are really reluctant, thank your host and offer some a reasonable explanation. When the hosts toast you, you should receive the cup and first offer your thanks to the hosts. Then you can drink it or let other people help you if you cannot bear the whole cup of wine yourself.

Language
While traveling along the Silk Road, the visitor can encounter about 20 different nationalities (ethnic groups) some of which, like the Uigur, Tibetan, and Mongolian speak their own language and have their own writing. Cultural exchange was considered very important during the development of the new unified national economy.
Some ethnic groups began learning Mandarin (the official Chinese language) and adopted the lifestyle of the Han people (the major ethnic group in China). Chinese became the official language in the autonomous regions. Today, Chinese can be easily used among these nationalities.

Advice on Visiting Temples
When traveling along the Silk Road, a temple is often an important spot visited by travelers. There are some important things to remember, though, in order to ensure a pleasant visit to the temples.
Addressing a Monk: "shi" or "fashi" is the honorable title of the Monks and Taoists, and "zhanglao", "fangzhang" or "chanshi" of the Governing Monk."Heshang" and "chujiaren" are regarded as the impolite way to address a Monk.
Proper Manners: put your palms together and lower your head when meeting with the monks. Attempting to handshake, embrace or touch the head of the monk is considered sacrilegious.
Topics of Conversation: topics relating to killing, marriage and eating meat are forbidden.

History Recorded at... 4:52 AM
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Climate
Conditions along the Silk Road vary from a typical continental climate around Xian to a desert climate as you travel westward. Average daily variation is about 12C. Temperature in certain desert areas may vary up to a maximum of 36C in one day between noon and midnight. Although the hottest, the summer months of June, July, August and September are a popular time to travel when the oasis towns are full of life, flowers are blooming, fruits are in season, and the fragrance of sweet melons and grapes fill the air. Spring and Autumn though short and barely noticeable, are a comfortable season to travel. Winter is cold but offers a different perspective in scenery.

Landscape
It was the world's first superhighway, a series of desert and mountain crossing that enabled silk to make its way from the ancient Chinese capital of Xian. The Silk Road allowed links between China and the West to flourish, an exchange of art, ideas and culture as well as trade.
Xian, with its delightful Chinese-style wooden mosque and high city walls, is the ideal starting point for tours along the Silk Road, beginning in the same place as camel trains of yore
The Uygurs are followers of Islam, as are the Kazakh nomad herders who spend part of their year around the shores of Heavenly Lake, close to the Xinjiang region capital city of Urumqi.
The rich blue of the lake and the bright green of the meadows contrast with the stark white of the snow-capped mountains.

History Recorded at... 4:24 AM
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Tang Dynasty is one of the most powerful and prosperous king doms in the history of China. Central Plains of China and the Western Regions entered into a grand unification. In the first 100 years of Tang Dynasty its prosperity allowed it to reach an unprecedented height in the exchange and communication with the outside world. Contemporary historians both in China and abroad call Tang Dynasty "an open empire" and Chang'an "a capital of the world."
Traders of Persia, priests of Rome, sailors of Arabia, and students of Japan, as well as Buddhist and Islamic scholars, all of them gathered in China. Because of rapid development of its economy, China's trade exchange with the Western Regions and beyond increased a great deal during the period. A golden era in the history of the Silk Road started with the arrival of Tang Dynasty.

Turpan

In Chinese history Turpan was an important and unique city on the Silk Road for the culture exchange and integration. It witnessed the complicated process of administering the Western Regions by Han and Tang dynasties. The Turpan Basin connects Hexi Corridor in the east to Tarim Basin in the west. Therefore, it was a strategically important place. Han Dynasty fought with the Hun for the control of this strategic city After many fierce battles, the increasingly powerful Western Han Kingdom eventually succeeded in controlling the Silk Road and occupied this city of strategic importance. And the Hun was never to be able to recover from the setback.

Turpan, China

Hotan: the west Buddhism Center in Tang Dynasty

Yutian (the present Hotan in Xinjiang) was a famous city on the Silk Road. It was widely known to the outside world for its beautiful jades. Although it was situated at the southern-western edge of the Taklamakan Desert the Yutian River (the present Hotan River) and other rivers flowed through the area, irrigating fertile land It was an oasis with abundant natural plantations. It was the richest place in the Western Regions.From ancient times, Yutian had been producing beautiful jades, which were transported eastwards. The jade articles, excavated from the ruins of Shang Dynasty in Anyang, were mostly made of Yutian jades.

Hotan, China

History Recorded at... 4:05 AM
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Monday, August 20, 2007

Ancient Chang'an

( Tang dynasty\map of Chang'an\Sui dynasty)

Present day Xi'an

Present day of Xi an showing the buildings.

Houses and high-rised buildings( in the background )

Vase showing the painting of a temple.

Photo of a pagoda.

History Recorded at... 5:47 AM
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Monday, August 13, 2007

These are some of the pictures of silk road taken by some historians and archaeologists.They are pictures of the past of the silk road.There are also some pictures i can find about the present silk road.

this is a picture of the present silkroad and below is the route of silkroad.

History Recorded at... 6:06 PM
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Traveler's Tips.

What to Bring
Even during May and October, topography and climate along the Silk Road vary greatly. Some stretches of the road are high and cold, others low and dry. Take clothing for a wide range of temperatures. Comfortable shoes are a must. Personal items such as dental floss and feminine hygiene supplies must be taken. Such items cannot be bought along the route. Particularly at higher elevations, the sun's ultraviolet radiation can be very strong. Carry sun block and suntan oil to prevent sunburn. Also carry basic medical supplies, perhaps a small first aid kit plus medicines for ordinary ailments. Such medicines cannot be bought along the route.
However, do not burden your trip with more baggage than you can easily carry. It is best to travel fairly light but well prepared.

When to Go
The months of May and October are the best time to travel the Silk Road. The summer can be searingly hot. The winter is freezing. During May, the average temperature along the route is around 15C. The scenery is most beautiful during May. The accumulated winter snow on the tableland is melting. The grass is turning green. Visitors can enjoy this enchanting scenery without suffering extreme temperatures.

Time
The Beijing standard time, which is eight hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (London) and 13 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time (New York), is the standard time used in China.
The visitor must know though that in Xinjiang, locals often use the Xinjiang time, which is two hours behind the standard Beijing time

Medicines
It is suggested that you take some travel pill or anti-nausea medicine with you to make you feel comfortable from mountain sickness. Medicines for preventing sunstroke are essentials for summer travel. Medicines for colds, diarrhea, nausea, fever and carsickness are all necessary. Some nasal ointment and throat-moistening pills will greatly be of help for those who are sensitive to dry weather conditions. If you are going to remote places, anti-mosquito spray, cream or lotion is also necessary. Please consult your doctor prior to your travel. One tip: do not drink tea after eating lots of fruits, otherwise you will easily get diarrhea.

Accommodations
The Silk Road spans most of China, from modern cities in the central China to isolated villages and towns in the remote west. Accordingly accommodations along the route range from high standard luxurious hotels to simple guesthouse.
In cities like Dunhuang, Turpan, Kashgar, Urumqi, Lanzhou, the visitor can enjoy high standard hotels named "Jiudian". They all provide excellent conditions, all-round services and they are quite safe. But this kind of hotels is also the most expensive. Visitors on a tight budget may consider the cheaper "Zhaodaisuo" (Guesthouse). With simpler facilities and basic service, these guesthouses are used by most Chinese travelers. In the remote villages only simple and rough lodgings are available. These locations offer nothing but a quite simple room.

History Recorded at... 5:59 PM
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Saturday, August 4, 2007

The Silk Road, or Silk Route, is an interconnected series of ancient trade routes through various regions of the Asian continent. It extends over 8,000 km (5,000 miles) on land and sea. Trade on the Silk Route was a significant factor in the development of the great civilizations of China, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, Indian subcontinent, and Rome, and helped to lay the foundations for the modern world.

The description of this route to the west as the `Silk Road' is somewhat misleading. Firstly, no single route was taken; crossing Central Asia several different branches developed, passing through different oasis settlements. The routes all started from the capital in Changan, headed up the Gansu corridor, and reached Dunhuang on the edge of the Taklimakan(desert).

The northern route then passed through Yumen Guan (Jade Gate Pass) and crossed the neck of the Gobi desert to Hami (Kumul), before following the Tianshan mountains round the northern fringes of the Taklimakan. It passed through the major oases of Turfan and Kuqa before arriving at Kashgar, at the foot of the Pamirs.

The southern route branched off at Dunhuang, passing through the Yang Guan and skirting the southern edges of the desert, via Miran, Hetian (Khotan) and Shache (Yarkand), finally turning north again to meet the other route at Kashgar.

The Silk Road was not a trade route that existed solely for the purpose of trading in silk; many other commodities were also traded, from gold and ivory to exotic animals and plants, but of all the exotic goods silk was probably the most remarkable for the people of the west. It is often thought that the Romans had first encountered silk in one of their campaigns against the Parthians in 53 B.C, and realised that it could not have been produced by this relatively unsophisticated people. They reputedly learnt from Parthian prisoners that it came from a mysterious tribe in the east, who they came to refer to as the silk people, `Seres'. This new material quickly became very popular in Rome, for its soft texture and attractiveness.

The Parthians realised that there was money to be made from trading the material, and sent trade missions towards the east. The Romans also sent their own agents out to explore the route, and to try to obtain silk at a lower price than that set by the Parthians. For this reason, the trade route to the East was seen by the Romans as a route for silk rather than the other goods that were traded.

Silk, on its way to the west, often got no further than this region of Central Asia. The Astana tombs, where the nobles of Gaochang were buried, have turned up examples of silk cloth from China, as well as objects from as far afield as Persia and India. Much can be learned about the customs of the time from the objects found in these graves, and from the art work of the time, which has been excellently preserved on the tomb walls, due to the extremely dry conditions.

However, the most significant commodity carried along this route was not silk, but religion. Buddhism came to China from India this way, along the northern branch of the route. The Eastern Han emperor Mingdi is thought to have sent a representative to India to discover more about this strange faith, and further missions returned bearing scriptures, and bringing with them India priests.

The name `Silk Road' itself does not originate from the Romans, however, but is a nineteenth century term, coined by the German scholar, von Richthofen.

History Recorded at... 8:21 AM
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