Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang’an-Tian-shan Corridor [Heritage of humanity #17]

This corridor took shape between the 2nd century BC and 1st century AD, and remained in use until the 16th century, linking multiple civilisations and facilitating far-reaching exchanges of activities in trade, religious beliefs, scientific knowledge, technological innovation, cultural practices and the arts. 

The 33 components included in the routes network include capital cities and palace complexes of various empires and Khan kingdoms, trading settlements, Buddhist cave temples, ancient paths, posthouses, passes, beacon towers, sections of The Great Wall, fortifications, tombs and religious buildings. 

They represent one of the world’s preeminent long-distance communication networks stretching, as the crow flies, to around 7,500 km, but extending to in excess of 35,000 km along specific routes. While some of these routes had been in use for millennia, by the 2nd century BC the volume of exchange had increased substantially, as had the long distance trade between east and west in high value goods, and the political, social and cultural impacts of these movements had far-reaching consequences upon all the societies that encountered them. 

Online:

• Routes de la soie : le réseau de routes du corridor de Chang’an-Tian-shan