(Excerpts from Professor Zheng Changzhong’s Lecture En Route to the China-Europe Railway Express on May 20, 2025)
Good afternoon, everyone! Next, we will head to the Xi’an assembly point of the China-Europe Railway Express, a key logistics hub for this vital trade route. During our visit to the Great Wall the day before yesterday, I mentioned that besides its military defense function, another significant role of the Great Wall was to protect trade along the Silk Road.
The Silk Road began in the Han Dynasty (202 BCE – 220 CE). The overland route extended westward from Chang’an (present-day Xi’an) to Europe, while the maritime route departed from southern ports like Guangzhou and Quanzhou, connecting China with the world. Major trade commodities included renowned Chinese specialties such as tea, silk, and porcelain. This trade corridor endured for nearly 2,000 years until the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, when it gradually declined due to the imperial court’s closed-door policies. For two millennia, China maintained an open stance. During the Tang Dynasty (618–907 CE), Chang’an (Xi’an today) was a global metropolis, attracting merchants and even officials from across the world. Tonight, we will visit Datang Everbright City, which recreates the bustling prosperity of the Tang Dynasty.
The Silk Road symbolizes ancient China’s spirit of openness. It was not merely an economic trade route but also a bond for cultural exchange and people-to-people interactions, profoundly shaping the Chinese people’s understanding of openness and global connectivity. In the 21st century, to advance the building of a community with a shared future for mankind and ensure that China’s development benefits the world, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the “Silk Road Economic Belt” and “21st-Century Maritime Silk Road” initiatives (collectively known as the “Belt and Road” Initiative) in 2013. The Xi’an International Port Area we are about to visit is a critical node on the overland “Silk Road Economic Belt.” You will gain on-the-ground insights into its specifics after our arrival.
*The views and opinions expressed in the articles are solely those of the individual authors and do not reflect the position of the Secretariat of the Belt and Road Journalist Network.