LONG before the Great Age of Navigation started in the 15th century, there was the Silk Road that carried not only silk but also ideas.

It’s the world’s oldest and longest international highway.

Beginning during the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220), the Silk Road (so named in the 1870s) was long, narrow corridor serving as an artery of Asia-Europe trade and cultural exchange.

Marco Polo headed for China along the Silk Road when it was well established in the Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368) and his famous “Travels” inspired many Westerners to visit China.

Starting from northwestern China, the 7,000-kilometer passageway stretched from the Pamirs to Central Asia, to Middle East, and eventually the Mediterranean Sea.

In the 19th century, German geographer Ferdinand von Richthofen named it the Silk Road, since it had been the only passage for China to transport its silk, tea, rice, spices, paper and other items to the West.

The Silk Road was about much more than silk trade. Though it was disrupted because of wars and conflicts, it brought about the meeting of three great ancient cultures, the Chinese, Indian and Greek. For example, Buddhism spread to China from northern India along the Silk Road. And from China, the West learned about the compass, dynamite, paper making and printing techniques, water well drilling, cast iron technologies, alchemy, sericulture, acupuncture and other Chinese traditional medicine.

Culture, lifestyles, religion, philosophy, social systems, economic and political systems — all traveled both ways on the Silk Road.

Chinese envoy and explorer Zhang Qian (164-114 BC) is credited with “discovering” the Silk Road in traveling to the ancient kingdom known as Da Xia in today’s Afghanistan.

A half century later, Chinese explorer Gan Ying was sent on a diplomatic mission to Da Qin, the Roman Empire and terminus of the Silk Road. He only made it as far as today’s Persian Gulf.

The silk products fared better than Gan, reaching the highest levels of society in the Roman Empire.

Meanwhile, another maritime trade route was developed, starting from Quanzhou in southeastern China’s Fujian Province and reaching Europe and Africa. Known as the Maritime Silk Road, it transported more porcelain than silk. Spices, gems and herbs were imported to China from Southeast Asia, South Asia and Europe.

In AD 166, Roman envoys visited China in the first known East-West exchange.

With the coming of the global navigation era, and with ancient China moving its economic center of gravity to the south after the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907), the Silk Road became largely another page in the history books.

The Maritime Silk Road survived and became part of the Age of Discovery.

Today, as the world becomes globalized and more integrated economically, financially and culturally, a new vision of the Silk Road is emerging, one of new cooperation and new opportunities.

This proposed barrier-free New Silk Road includes China, Russia, Central Asian countries, Middle Eastern nations and Europe. The aim is to create a driving force for global economic growth.

The concept proposed by China has been well received in Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

The New Silk Road will begin in Xi’an in Shaanxi Province, extend through the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to the border with Kazakhstan. It then runs southwest from Central Asia to Iran before turning west through Iraq, Syria and Turkey. It crosses the Bosporus Strait and heads northwest through Europe, including Bulgaria, Romania, the Czech Republic, Germany and the Netherlands. Finally, it reaches Italy, the terminus.

Beyond economic and security advantages, the New Silk Road beckons travelers with its spectacular scenery, colorful cultures and fascinating history.

¥ Xi’an

Shaanxi Province, beginning of the Silk Road

This ancient capital is considered as China’s subterranean museum because more than 7,000 larger-than-life Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses were unearthed there.

The sculptures standing in ranks depict the armies of Qin Shi Huang (259-210 BC), the first emperor who united China.

Xi’an, or Chang’an before the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) was one of the four great ancient capitals of China, the seat of 13 dynasties, and dates back more than 3,000 years.

The city contains many historic sites, including the Buddhist Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, an architectural marvel.

The massive, well-preserved (with reconstruction) city wall stands 12 meters tall, 12-14 meters wide at the top and 15-18 meters thick at the bottom. It stretches 13.7 kilometers around the city and is surrounded by a deep moat. It has 98 ramparts.

Dating back 600 years, the wall is China’s most complete ancient wall surrounding a city.

The Shaanxi Historic Museum, the Wolong Temple and the Forest of Steles are major attractions.

• Xianyang

Shaanxi Province, major tomb site

The city was the capital of the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC).

Local opera known as “Qinqiang” and drum dances are famous.

Scenic spots include the Grand Buddha Temple, the Qianling Mausoleum and Zhaoling Mausoleum.

The Qianling Mausoleum is a Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) tomb complex containing tombs of members of the royal Li family, including Emperor Gaozong and his wife, Wu Zetian, who became China’s first and only empress.

• Tianshui

Gansu Province, spectacular Maijishan Grottoes

The grottoes contain more than 7,000 Buddhist sculptures and more than 1,000 square meters of murals in 194 caves carved out of the side of a hill.

It is famous for the Eastern Venus sculpture and stone steles.

Other sites include Nanguo Temple and the Temple of Fu Xi, a cultural hero said to be the inventor of writing, fishing and trapping.

Trekking is popular in the area.

As elsewhere in Gansu, sour and spicy noodles are the specialty.

• Lanzhou

Gansu Province, major Silk Road hub

The capital city of Gansu Province is a major transiting point for Dunhuang and the famous Buddhist grottoes to the west and the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region to the north.

It’s famous for typical “lamian,” or hand-pulled noodles, always made by hand and served with hot, spicy broth and lots of beef.

Attractions include the Gansu Provincial Museum, a steel bridge across the Yellow River, Baita Mountain Park and Wuquan Mountain Park.

The free museum showcases national treasures such as the famous bronze “Galloping Horse Treading on Flying Swallow,” 34.5cm high and 45cm long.

The 18,000-square-meter space features regular exhibitions on the Silk Road, Buddhist art and ancient painted pottery from the Neolithic Age. It contains ancient silk and textiles, wooden and bronze vessels and well-preserved Buddhist sculptures.

• Wuwei

Gansu Province, Tiantishan Buddhist Grottoes

 The city dating back more than 1,000 years retains an ancient city gate and contains important temples and a Buddhist grotto that inspired Buddhist art in central China.

Sites include the Confucian Temple, Leitai and Haizang temples. The Confucian Temple, also the Wuwei Museum, features traditional Chinese architecture, intricate decorations and roof statues of legendary animals, birds and dragons.

The Buddhist grottoes at Tiantishan — literally Sky Ladder Mountain — are considered the source of Buddhist sculpture art found in the grottoes of Yungang in Shanxi Province and Longmen in Henan Province. The area is also known as Big Buddha Temple and the scenic terrain includes grasslands with grazing sheep, forests, rivers and snow-capped mountains.

Baita Temple contains the bones of revered Tibetan lamas buried in stupas.

• Zhangye

Gansu Province, Silk Road hub, red cliffs

The city in the middle of the Hexi or Gansu Corridor was an important trading stop.

Though it’s not a tourist destination, it’s a good place to stop. The city is one of four towns in the Western Corridor, including Dunhuang, Jiuquan and Wuwei.

The Danxia red cliffs offer a spectacular sunset view. Danxia National Park and its geological formations provide a splash of color in the arid region.

Other attractions are the Mati Temple and the Western Xia Giant Buddha Temple, featuring China’s biggest indoor reclining Buddha.

• Jiayuguan Pass

Gansu Province, western end of the Great Wall

This Gobi Desert city in northwestern Gansu was a major Silk Road hub protected by the Great Wall.

It is known as the No. 1 Pass in China, which at the extreme end of the Great Wall and the remnants of a tower can be visited.

The city combines Silk Road and Great Wall cultures and contains many relics.

• Dunhuang

Gansu Province, Buddhist Mogao Grottoes

The desert oasis and Silk Road’s crossroads is the site of Dunhuang and China’s most famous Buddhist grottoes, also known as the Thousand-Buddha Caves because they contain so many sculptures and murals of Buddha.

They contain some of the most superb examples of Buddhist art over the centuries and vividly record cultural exchanges along the Silk Road.

The oasis was a thriving metropolis, commanding a strategic position between central China and the route to the west.

The first caves were dug into a cliff face by monks carving out places for meditation. As the area prospered, caves were financed by local people, ruling elites, temples and Chinese emperors. At one time they were filled with art and manuscripts but much of it has been looted and reside in European museums.

Nearby attractions include Mingsha Mountain, literally Echoing Sand Mountain because of the sound of wind-blown sand, and Crescent Lake.  National Yardang Geologic Park contains bizarrely shaped rock formations created by wind erosion. These sites offer a magical combination of desert and oasis.

Yangguan and Yumenguan are two key passes on the Silk Road, frontier defense posts for inland China. Only parts remain.

• Hami

Xinjiang, home of sweet Hami melons

Hami in China’s far western Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is famously fertile and known for its Hami melons, watermelons, grapes and apricots.

Dried fruit is famous.

Traditional kebabs of roast mutton are popular, served with rice and radishes. Spicy beef and lamb noodles are famous.

The scenery is breathtaking, including desert, meadows, snow-capped mountains. There are numerous cultural relics.

• Turpan

Xinjiang, major Silk Road stop and heart of Gaochang Kingdom

This oasis city was the heart of the flourishing Gaochang Kingdom in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

It arose around 1 BC and over the centuries was ruled by different peoples, including Han. Ruins are around 30km from Turpan.

The ruins of Jiaohe City are another attraction, including residential areas, temples and administrative buildings. It was established by Cheshi Kingdom during the Han Dynasty  (206 BC-AD 220).

Turpan is also famous for sweet grapes grown in the Turpan Grape Gully.

The Flaming Mountains are barren, eroded red sandstone that look as though they are on fire.

• Urumqi

Xinjiang capital and food city

Urumqi in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is famous for hearty fare, including whole roast lamb, shish kebab mutton, hand-stretched noodles, “big-plate” chicken, flat breads and other dishes. The milk tea is good.

The Big Bazaar is a traditional Islamic market, a great place for eating and enjoying performances at night.

• Hotan

Xinjiang, famous for high-quality jade

The city also known as Hetian or Khotan was an important stop on the Silk Road and is famous for high-quality carved jade, especially white jade.

Once the center of a Buddhist empire, it contains numerous historic sites.

The Khotan Market and museum are popular.

• Kashgar

Xinjiang, heart of Uygur culture

There’s a saying that if you don’t visit Kashgar, you haven’t been to Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

The famous commercial center on the Silk Road is the place to experience Uygur culture, including crafts bazaars.

The Id Kah Mosque is the largest in Central Asia and can be toured.

The city contains the tomb of the legendary “Fragrant Concubine” Apak Hoja or Xiangfei of the Qianlong Emperor (1735-97).

Central Asia

The Silk Road stretches from the “stans” in Central Asia to Italy on the Mediterranean Sea.

Along the route in central and west Asia, there are many ancient cultures and peoples whose country names end in “stan,” the ancient Persian word for land, place or homeland. The Seven “stans” are Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

Five of the “stans” are the heart of the Silk Road revitalization and cooperation project, namely, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

They are filled with spectacular scenery, colorful and exotic peoples, historic architecture as beautiful as in Moscow and St Petersburg. The mostly Muslim region also contains great mosques.

These former Soviet republics occupy a region of strategic importance. Central Asia was of great military importance in ancient times, Huns, Turks, Persians, Romans and Russians all coveted the land of treasures and left their mark.

It is a land of legends, such as those surrounding Samarkand in Uzbekistan, ancient capital of Tamerlane’s (1336-1405) empire.

Registan Square features ancient (restored) architecture reminiscent of the period, including the Ulugbek and Sher Dor madrassas, Islamic seminaries established from the 15th to 17th centuries. The structures were heavily influenced by Persian architecture in a mosque style.

Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, and Almaty, capital of Kazakhstan, are modern cities with imposing Soviet-era architecture and sculpture.

Almaty is situated at the base of snowy mountains and is filled with natural and cultural beauty. From the northern suburbs, the mountains shine gold in the sunshine.

Dushanbe, capital of Tajikistan, enjoys the same mountain landscape but the climate is warm enough to allow roses to bloom everywhere.

The climate in the region is relatively mild, even in summer because of the elevation and proximity to mountains. In some places, the greenery is lush.

The weekly desert market in Turkmenistan attracts people from around the region, some of whom fly in.

Iran

Iran is safe, public security is excellent and people are welcoming. The chances of being robbed in Iran are negligible. Don’t take pictures around military installations, and you’ll be fine.

Ancient Persia, today’s Iran, has a history of nearly 5,000 years and today the land is filled with relics. Shiraz in the southwest is the cradle of Persian culture.

In the ruins of Persepolis near Shiraz, visitors can still see delicate and well-preserved relief carvings, mosaic and sculptures.

The Nasir al-Mulk Mosque or the Pink Mosque in Shiraz is one of the most beautiful in the world. It appears to be a traditional mosque, heavily ornamented in blue and green on the outside, but inside it is a blaze of pinks, roses and scarlets. The morning light through stained glass windows falls on colorful carpets and the interior turns red and florid.

Travel is convenient since Iran has a excellent public transport system. But because of economic sanctions, it is almost impossible to book flights and hotels online. Travelers must look for hotels after arrival. Credit cards are seldom accepted.

• Russia

Moscow and St Petersburg are the two most frequently visited cities, famous for palaces, cathedrals, museums and grand public architecture.

In Moscow, the most spectacular architecture is near Red Square, including the Kremlin, St Basil’s Cathedral and the Bolshoi Theater.

The whole of St Petersburg on the Baltic Sea is a museum, founded by Peter the Great in 1703 to be a western European capital. It was the imperial capital for many years, ending in 1918. The Palace of the Tsars has been called Versailles in Russia. The buildings, ornate decorations, gardens and fountains are famous. The city in the far north has long summer days, four months of “white nights” from May to August. On luminous midsummer evenings, the high-latitude city is bathed in an iridescent all-night. There are festivals, concerts, performances and all night parties of all kinds.

• Turkey

At the nexus of Europe and Asia, Istanbul (formerly Constantinople) is a magnificent city where cultures come together. Relics of the Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires, and other cultures can be found. Bonaparte said of the city, “If the earth was a single state, Istanbul would be its capital.”

Many great ancient cities have declined but Istanbul flourishes today, the economic and financial center of Turkey.

• Italy

As the terminus of the Silk Road, Italy and its cities need no introduction. Venician merchant Marco Polo headed for China along the Silk Road in the Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368). “The Travels of Marco Polo” described Chinese politics, economy, and culture in detail and inspired many Westerners to travel the Silk Road (land and maritime) to visit Cathay.

But the new Silk Road is no longer about silk trading, but will become a new start in the mutual understanding of countries and peoples.