Opening to the”West”
2 min readThe Silk Road exerted an inestimable influence on the lives of the Chinese people. While Chinese culture and technology, such as papermaking and printing, were introduced to countries to the west, China also absorbed many elements from the arts, philosophy and religions of many other countries. This helped to promote an open policy toward other cultures from the Han to Tang dynasties.
The Silk Road highlights a period of history when China looked west for a farther vision of the world. To the east, apart from the islands of the Pacific and Japan, the country faced only a huge ocean. To the west, in contrast, there were many countries in the Western Regions and beyond. By the tenth century, Chinese explorers had already realized there were rich countries, attractive goods and artworks, and different peoples beyond the Western Regions. This aroused great interest in the “west”among ancient Chinese people.
Buddhism, for example, was first introduced to Khotan Kingdom(covering present-day Hetian area of Xin jiang) in the Western Regions in 87, and then gradually spread to the Central Plains along both the southern and northern routes of the Silk Road. This religion has since exerted a huge influence not only on Chinese beliefs but also on the development of Chinese thinking.
Nestorianism and Islam were also introduced to China through the Silk Road. Cultures and arts from other lands have left valuable legacies along the Silk Road, such as the murals in the Gaochang, Kuche and Dunhuang grottoes. They stand as evidence of a stunning blend of Chinese and western art and culture.
