Sunday, August 26, 2007
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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