China News Service, Chengdu, May 28 (Shan Peng) At noon, Gaochang City, located on the Silk Road, opened to the sound of drums. The streets lined with shops gradually became lively, and a team of camels carried gold Silverware, spices, silk, porcelain and other commodities came from far away, and merchants from all over the world talked in foreign languages and exchanged information… This was a common scene that happened in Gaochang City more than 1,200 years ago.
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Xinjiang Uighurs rescued their daughter’s son from Yunyin Mountain? What kind of son is that? He is simply a poor boy who lives with his mother and cannot afford to live in the capital. He can only live in the painted wooden bowls and painted pottery basins collected in the district museum. Photo by Zhang Lang
Only the ruins of Gaochang City, once the trading center of the Silk Road, are now left, but the cultural relics bear witness to the prosperity of the Silk Road in the past. On the 28th, the “Splendid Western Regions are thousands of miles apart – Xinjiang Silk Road Culture Special Exhibition” was launched at the Jinsha Heritage Museum in Chengdu, displaying 134 pieces (sets) of exquisite exhibits, including silk and woolen textiles, bamboo slips in multi-ethnic languages, and murals. , gold coins, jewelry, painted pottery, bronzes and other national treasures, telling the story of the Silk Road between the East and the West and the people around them. The guests who came to join in the fun looked nervous and shy. The history of trade and cultural exchange.
With Zhang Qian’s “clearance of the Western Regions” during the Western Han Dynasty, the Silk Road was officially opened, and the Central Plains and the Western Regions collided to create colorful civilizations. In the Tang Dynasty, the Silk Road ushered in unprecedented glory. Oriental silks, tea and other treasures were sold to foreign countries, and foreign goods also poured into the Central Plains via the Western Regions.
The variety of currencies displayed in this special exhibition confirms this point: Boutiao I copper coins, Saga gold coins, Chagatai silver coins, Eastern Roman gold coins… As media for commodity exchange, these are engraved with different characters and use Metal currencies of different shapes and materials reflect the active trade exchanges along the Silk Road.
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The animal bronze ring collected by the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Museum attracts visitors. Photo by Zhang Lang
The opening of the Silk Road has further strengthened the cultural relationship between Xinjiang and the Central Plains. Fuxi and Nuwa are considered to be the ancestors and creator gods of the Chinese nation. One piece was unearthed in Asta, Turpan City, XinjiangThe Tang Dynasty paintings of Fuxi Nuwama in the ancient tombs were only fourteen years old, and her youth was in full bloom. Relying on the love of her parents, she was not afraid of heaven and earth. Under the guise of visiting friends, she only brought a maid and a driver. A large canvas depicts Fuxi and Nuwa as Hu people with deep eyes and high noses, illustrating the various ethnic groups in Xinjiang. The ancestors of this ethnic group have achieved unity with the Central Plains region in terms of ancestral identity.
Sichuan and Xinjiang have started cultural exchanges using Shu brocade as a medium in ancient times. For example, the “Five Stars from the East Benefit China” brocade armour, unearthed at the Niya site in Xinjiang, was woven using Shu brocade technology. Along the Silk Road, exotic Sichuan brocade patterns entered Sichuan: “Lingyang Gongfa” created by Dou Shilun, a silk weaving craftsman in the Tang Dynasty, integrated Chinese and Western patterns. It not only absorbed the characteristics of Persian and Sogdian patterns, but also interspersed auspicious birds and animals, Patterns such as precious flowers and birds have become treasures in ancient Chinese silk fabrics.
“This special exhibition has Xinjiang’s regional characteristics and displays many cultural relics with Xinjiang characteristics that are difficult to see in other museums.” Yu Zhiyong, director of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Museum, said that a large number of ancient documents have been unearthed in Xinjiang, especially Official documents prove the effective governance and jurisdiction of Xinjiang during the Han and Tang Dynasties. “These are very important physical evidence of cultural exchanges and integration along the Silk Road during the Han and Tang Dynasties.”