source: blog.missala.pl

Silk Route Tours and the Ancient Network of trade routes

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The Silk Route Tours were not only a lucrative adventure for the Han Dynasty but was also a trade network that traded valuable goods from China, through the Middle East to the West.

The Silk Road and its Silk route expedition began from China

The trade network was officially opened by Zhang Qian and gradually formed during the reign of the Han Dynasty (206 BC until 220 AD) in 130 BC and functioned until 1453 AD when the Ottoman Empire boycotted the trade from China with the West and closed the road.

There is evidence that the Silk Road existed and was traded long before the Han Dynasty to open it officially. In the beginning, was traded silk from China to Western countries, and later trading continued with all trade exchanges. It is known that the roads between China and Greece opened somewhere between the first and second centuries B.C. China in ancient Greek is “Seres” which means “the land of silk”.

source: reddit.com

But the name of the Silk Road is not out of the Greek name of China but is first mentioned in 1877 by the German geographer and historian Ferdinand von Richthofen when he wanted to describe the path of trading.

Because the Silk Road has been branched on several routes across Asia and Europe, but also in Africa, historians call it “The Silk Route”.

The Trade goods on ancient Silk Road

In ancient times, China was known for silk fabrics, and the trade in the Western countries began, but later it applied to a real trade of goods. Methadran and Central Asia traded with wool, carpets, blankets and rugs, gold, silver, semi-precious stones and glassware that China imported. From crops, China imported onions, carrots, crabs, melons, peaches, vines, olives and others. China exported porcelain plates, porcelain vases, bronze objects, medicines, perfumes.

European countries imported rice, cotton, woolen and silk fabrics, various spices, jewelry, and exported leather, fur, honey.

There were traded domestic and wild animals, but also slaves.

source: festival.si.edu

The significance of the Silk Road was undoubted of great importance at that time for all the countries in which the road was passing, because apart from goods there was an exchange of traditions, cultures, and religion.

The Silk Route Tours took back then

The Silk Road consists of several routes that go in different directions, three of which are the main ones. Because of these branched roads, historians call it “The Silk Route” this time.
There are several roads, but three are the main ones, of which:

The Northern Route, which originated from today’s city of Xi’an, which at the time was the capital of the Han Dynasty. It stretched north-west through the province of Gansu through Shaanxi, and from here it is divided into three directions.

The Southern route or Karakoram route is a route that mostly goes along from China through the Karakoram mountains to the seas. Roads are branched, but everyone leads to the seacoast where traffickers continue their journey to Western countries.

source: amazingplaces.com

Nowadays this route is like Karakoram Highway, an asphalt road linking China with Pakistan.

The Southern route on the China side starts from Sichuan’s provincial capital of Chengdu. The main road passes through Yunnan, Myanmar and into South Asia. When the road passes from Sichuan into Yunnan here, it is divided into two main branches. One branch expanded over Chengdu southwest across the Sichuan Basin plain to the foothills of Mingshan mountains. From here, the route continues to the Qingyi to Ya’an where it connects to the famous and most traded route “Tea and Horse Trade”.

The Southern route is still known as “India Route” or “Old Sichuan-Yunnan-Myanmar-India Trade”.

The Silk Route Today

How vital the Silk Road was in ancient times, we can notice from the items I previously mentioned as historically proven facts.

It is undoubtedly one of the most important trade routes that represented a bridge between the east from the west, routes through which in addition to being traded, but also learned many new things about the culture and traditions of these seemingly two different worlds.

source: seneca-eu.net

Today Silk Road and the silk route tours still have a significant impact on culture and tradition, but also on tourism in general. The road is recognized as the ‘greatest route in the history of mankind’, which creates excellent opportunities for developing tourism and getting to know the cultural heritage that still exists in those regions just like in the past.

Thousands of tourists travel the Silk Road to experience at least some of what was in the past when the great merchants went along those routes.

Specify the date for your next vacation, select the Silk Road the best package for you and do not wait for a day longer. Pack up and go on one of the best trips in your life.

The Silk Road Tours and tourists

Travel agencies offer many different packages for routes along the silk route. Each route is unique in its way.

First, you need to decide which travel agency will get your trust. Do not rush to make the decision to which agency you trust. Explore their website, consider which packages are offered, and always pay attention to the way you are paying the agency.

Some of the Silk Route Tours offered by tourist agencies last for five days, but there are also tours along the silk route that continue for 15 days. If that is still not enough for you, some packages last 90 or 120 days.

Choose one of the tour packages that travel agencies are offering and go on the road where the famous Marco Polo was traveling.

source: mychinaholidays.com

No matter which package you choose, you will not regret it. Each round, each city, each region is different and unique in its way.

One thing is certain: with this journey, you will be richer for another fantastic experience that will remain for your whole life.

This is a journey I recommend to every adventurer, but also for those who want the beaches to replace them with something new and interesting.

It’s not just a trip. If you have one of these long Silk Route Tours, you will have a different view of the life and surroundings around you, long after you have experienced it.