TravelTips
鈥elf-drivingisthemostconvenientwaytoexplorethesite.
鈥sthereare33historicsiteslocatedalongtherouteinfourprovincesinChina,visitingoneprovinceatatimeisrecommended.
ListedasaWorldCulturalHeritageSitein2014Location:China,KazakhstanandKyrgyzstanBestTimetoVisit:Anytime
THERoutesNetworkofChang鈥檃n-TianshanMountainsCorridorisa5,000-kmsectionofthegreaterSilkRoadnetwork,stretchingfromtwoancientcapitalsChang鈥檃n(nowXi鈥檃ninShaanxiProvince)oftheWesternHanDynasty(206B.C.-A.D.25)andLuoyang(nowinHenanProvince)oftheEasternHanDynasty(25-220),totheZhetysuregionofCentralAsia.TheTianshanMountainscorridorwasonesectionofthemoreextensiveSilkRoadnetwork,whichencompassedacomplexnetworkoftraderoutesextendingtosome8,700km.
ThenetworktookshapebetweenthesecondcenturyB.C.andthefirstcenturyA.D.,flourishedbetweenthesixthand14thcenturyandremainedinuseasamajortraderouteuntilthe16thcentury.Thenetworkusedtolinkmultiplecivilizationsandfacilitatefar-reachingexchangesofactivitiesintrade,religiousbeliefs,scientificknowledge,technologicalinnovation,culturalpracticesandthearts.
Theroutesservedprin-cipallyforlong-distancetradeinrawmaterials,foodstuffs,andluxurygoods.Someareashadamonopolyoncertainmaterialsorgoods:notablyChina,whosuppliedCentralAsia,SouthAsia,WestAsiaandtheMediterraneanregionwithsilk.Manyofthehigh-valuetradegoodsweretransportedovervastdistances-bypackanimalsandrivercraft.
Thirty-threesitesarelocatedalongthecorridor,includingcapitalcitiesandpalacecomplexesofvariousempiresandKhankingdoms,tradingsettlements,Buddhistcavetemples,ancientpaths,posthouses,mountainpasses,beacontowers,sectionsoftheGreatWall,fortifications,tombsandreligiousbuildings.TheseriesofBuddhistpagodasandlarge,elaboratecavetemplesextendingfromKuqaCountyintheXinjiangUygurAutonomousRegioninthewesttoLuoyangintheeast,recordstheeastwardtransmissionofBuddhismfromIndiaviaKarakorum,anddemonstratesanevolutioninthedesignofstupasaslocalideasweregraduallyabsorbed.