Following the Silk Road, Year 7 Scholars Lecture: Report by Evelyn
Earlier this term Timothy, a Lower Sixth student, gave a lunchtime lecture on the importance of the Silk Road in Imperial China to Year 7 Scholars. Here is Evelyn’s report:
Today, it would take less than half a day to fly from China to Europe. But at the time Imperial China began to forge the Silk Road more than 2000 years ago, it would have taken years to cover the 4000-mile distance, says Timothy, a Lower Sixth student, who gave a lunchtime lecture to Year 7 scholars on the importance of this ancient trade route.
The Silk Road was a network of trade routes that connected China with many countries. In the 2nd century BC, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, commissioned the merchant Zhang Qian to establish trade routes from Chang ‘an, now Xi’an, to the west. This network was good for alliances, trade, economic benefits, diplomacy and cultural exchange. The Silk Road helped with the spread of goods like silk, but also what have become known as China’s “Four Great Inventions”: paper, gunpowder, compasses and printing.
These routes had a huge positive impact on the Chinese Empire, but also others like the Burmese and Tibetan. To this day, the Silk Road still has a big influence on the modern world. Its many sites and monuments make up a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it has become a very popular tourist destination.
