| 释义 |
丝绸之路 sīchóu zhī lù noun Silk Road 丝绸之路The Silk Road, also known as 丝路 in Chinese. From the 2nd century BC to the 13th and 14th centuries, this was an overland trade route from China through to central Asia, south and west Asia, Europe, and north Africa. It was called the Silk Road because of the vast quantities of Chinese silk and silk products that were traded westward along this route. It is generally considered that the route started at Chang'an (present-day Xi'an). Many Chinese technological innovations were transmitted westward along the Silk Road, including paper-making, gunpowder, printing, compasses, and ceramics, while Buddhism and Islam were transmitted eastward to China. The 13th century Italian adventurer Marco Polo is said to have travelled to China along the Silk Road. |