When I was little, for a long time, I thought the Silk Road was this long single road that leads to the West, filled with traders with silk. Although in reality, the Silk Road was a vast series of trade routes (both land routes and sea routes) connecting many destinations and carrying many types of products. Throughout history, silk was surely one of the important products exported from China, but at the same time, there were also significant imports, for instance, spices was one of the high-value goods that had been constantly imported to China from overseas. Besides physical products, beliefs, technologies and diseases were also frequently exchanged on these routes. Interestingly, the term ‘Silk Road' is in fact a relatively recent term invented by Western geographers and historians In the 19th century. I’ve no idea how the term has stayed but I think it created a beautiful image that appeals to the imagination, somewhat like a brand name. While a brand name may sound great and memorable, it also creates oversimplifications. In the end, the foreign term of the Silk Road returned to China and eventually adopted by the Chinese. Today, any Chinese would recognize this name: 丝绸之路 P.S. The answer to this question: ALL of them #chinesehistory #thesilkroad #eastmeetswest #brandedhistory #silkroads #oversimplification #sliceoflife #tinyeyescomics https://www.instagram.com/p/CAsRzMCqPJp/?igshid=pafa527yt8w8
