With Walk East - the Great Wall of China.
JiaYu Pass is not only the western starting point of the Ming Great Wall, but also a vital pass on the ancient Silk Road. It's the joining place of the cultures of the Silk Road ...
[video v=X_TeKhYoIHk]Live more ...
With Walk East - the Great Wall of China.
JiaYu Pass is not only the western starting point of the Ming Great Wall, but also a vital pass on the ancient Silk Road. It's the joining place of the cultures of the Silk Road ...
[video v=X_TeKhYoIHk]A documentary series by RT. Text by RT.
The Ancient Silk Road was a trade route that began in China in the 2nd century BC and, for more than 1700 years, linked Europe and Asia. As well as goods, it facilitated a cultural exchange between the continents, knowledge, religion, art, philosophy and tradition all passed back and forth between distant nations. Modern China now has the strongest economy in Asia and is a major world power. This series examines the enduring influence of the Silk Road in making the nation what it is today and how its legacy still thrives in China.
PART ONE
From the 2nd century BC onwards, the great Silk Road was a vital trade route that provided a link between Eurasian countries. It began during China’s Han dynasty and eventually stretched all the way to Rome. Throughout its 17 centuries of existence, it played a crucial role in enabling cultural interaction between nations and peoples all over the continents. As well as establishing economic ties, it also facilitated the exchange between countries of knowledge, religious practice, architectural styles, art, philosophy and traditions.
Modern Chinese culture has been heavily influenced by centuries of trade with neighbouring countries. Today, there are still sites in China that preserve the history of the Silk Road and the country’s role in it. Tang West Market Museum in the city of Xi'an marks the ancient starting point of the Silk Road and displays relics unearthed from what used to be a major centre for international trade. The Silk Route Museum in the city of Jiuquan celebrates the first ever customs checkpoint in history. This city served as an outpost on China’s border with unforgiving and perilous nomadic lands. Meanwhile, a network of grottos called the Mogao Caves bears witness to Buddhism arriving and thriving in China.
Today, China remains true to the well-established tradition of cultural exchange with its neighbours. 2016-2017 are dedicated to furthering Russo-Chinese relations and bilateral media ties. The history of collaboration between the two countries dates back as far as 400 years, when religious missionaries crossed the borders to introduce the other side to their homeland’s rich cultural practices.
[video v=lVh_dYa_10I]PART TWO
China is developing a unique blend of socialism and capitalism. The state-owned sector dominates but there has been a sudden surge in privately owned businesses operating in a new market economy. The two systems coexist in apparent harmony despite the seemingly contradictory ideologies of capitalism and communism. Private businesses began to appear after the country’s economic reforms of the late 1970s, ushered in by then premier, Deng Xiaoping. The emergence of private entrepreneurship led to rapid economic development for China. The country is still among the world’s fastest growing economies and is often the first to tap into new markets.
To further expand its regional economic influence, China has launched a programme to revive the famous old Silk Road. They are confident that the route will develop new international markets and forge new business alliances. The multifaceted programme involves improving road infrastructure and modernising key cities along the ancient Silk trading route. They are also creating more favourable conditions for business with incentives like company tax breaks and duty-free towns near the borders with neighbouring countries.
The project has been dubbed the ‘One Belt, One Road initiative’, and involves cooperation with more than 60, mostly neighbouring countries, with Russia among the major partners. RTD examines examples of Sino-Russian cooperation carried out under the ‘One Belt, One Road’ umbrella, including large-scale government projects and private trade deals with Russian customers.
With Dr. May-yi Shaw.
Meet the pioneers of the Belt and Road Initiative ...
[video v=REtEOS_9Eic]A BeiJingBuzzz special. From Xi'An to Kashgar.
A journey along the Chinese part of the trade route that connected China to Iran, Syria, Palestine, and beyond.
With film-maker Graeme Langford ...
[video v=JZGv78iN6Bk]
Plus, Gong LinNa with a beautiful new song : Xiao He Tang Shui 小河淌水 ...
Plus more videos ...
With Sticker Travel.
The second film shows scenes from the dances at the XinXiang International Bazaar Theater in Urumqi.
[video v=z8DZNTEUin8] Plus more videos ...
Explore the beautiful ancient town and surrounding sand-dunes and Buddhist caves with Sticker Travel.
The second film shows the Silk Road DunHuang Hotel.
DunHuang lies at the eastern end of the old northern Silk Route, from the ancient capital of Xi'An westwards to Kashgar in XinJiang province. The Great Wall was extended westwards to here around 120 BCE during the Han dynasty (202 BCE - 220 AD). During the Han and Tang dynasties, in particular, it was an important point of communication between China and central Asia.
The MaiJiShan Grottoes are filled with thousands of Buddhist sculptures.
These were carved from the Wei dynasty to the Song dynasty by Buddhist monks who first came here via the North Silk Road.
The grottoes are close to TianShui, which is the second largest city in GanSu province in central China, with a population of approximately 3.5 milion. The city lies along the route of the ancient Northern Silk Road by the Wei River, through which much of the trade flowed between China and the West.
The Qin state, the founding dynasty of China, arose in this part of China.
DunHuang lies within an oasis in the Gobi Desert, GanSu province.
It was an important stop along the Silk Road.
DunHuang lies within an oasis in the Gobi Desert.
It was an important stop along the Silk Road.
Silk Road travels, including JiaYuGuan and DunHuang - video
Scenes along the Silk Road in China. Places include Hohhot (Inner Mongolia), YinChuan (NingXia), LanZhou (Gansu), TianShui (Gansu), ZhangYe (Gansu), JiaYuGuan (Gansu), DunHuang (Gansu), Urumqi (XinJiang). Most notably, the western end of the Great Wall at JiaYuGuan and the Grottoes at DunHuang.
Ancient DaLi, YunNan province - video
Dali is situated at the southern end of the legendary Silk Road and is home to the Bai ethnic minority.