The legends, mystery and intrigue of The Silk Route, a network of trading routes that connected ancient China with Europe and Western Asia, have not faded in the centuries since its demise.

The Chinese Empress Hsi-Ling-Shi(2,640 BC), who is thought to have first discovered the potential of the silkworm, stands by her tiered trays of silkworms

‘The Silk Route’, a term that was coined by the German scholar von Richthofen in the nineteenth century, is somewhat misleading as no single route was taken. The region over which the routes passed is daunting to say the least. The Taklimakan desert, often referred to as The Land of Death, is one of the most hostile environments on Earth. To the northeast of the Taklimakan lies the Gobi desert and on the remaining three sides lie some of the highest mountain ranges in the world. Perhaps not surprisingly, The Silk Route’s dangers were not limited to the harsh terrain. The routes were also rife with bandits, and caravans of goods needed their own defence forces. Merchants travelling along the Silk Route would have known they were risking their lives. Grottos began to develop along the edges of the Taklimakan, where wealthy merchants left offerings of art and precious objects in an effort to evoke protection or to give thanks for a safe crossing.

Many opulent commodities besides silk were traded along The Silk Route’s seven thousand miles. China exported furs, ceramics, jade, bronze objects, lacquer and iron, while caravans coming into China from foreign countries contained gold and other precious metals, medicines, perfumes, ivory, precious stones, glass and slaves. As goods moved along The Silk Route, they would often be sold, crafted and re-crafted by skilled artisans who could transform raw silk into clothing and mere stones into exquisite jewels – effectively creating a value added trade route.

A map of The Silk Route

However, of all the opulent goods passing along The Silk Route, silk was perhaps the most remarkable for the people of the West. During the Han dynasty, which lasted from 202 BC to 220 AD, the Chinese were still the only people in the world who knew the secrets of weaving silk. Textile arts such as silk weaving, tapestry and silk embroidery were integral to the Chinese culture of the time. In countries such as Spain and Portugal, silk was used for screens and wall hangings, clothes, shoes, fans, banners, bed covers and tobacco pouches.

Perhaps some of the most significant commodities carried along The Silk Route were not objects, but religion and cultural ideas. Fashion, artistic influence and music were being transported between the East and the West, and Buddhism was introduced to China from India. The city of Chang’an, which was both the starting point of The Silk Route and the capital city of the T’ang dynasty, developed into one of the most culturally rich and cosmopolitan cities of all time. Foreigners living there by the year 742AD included Turks, Iranians, Indians, Japanese, Koreans and Malays. Many were missionaries, merchants or pilgrims.

A caravan of camels

The decline in trade along The Silk Route was brought about by a number of factors. As the routes became increasingly perilous, overseas trade was growing in popularity. Ships were becoming stronger and more reliable, and trade was cheaper when merchants were able to cut out the middlemen along the routes. In addition, the fall of the T’ang dynasty resulted in political and economic chaos that upended the import market for luxury goods into China, while the rise of Islam resulted in the destruction of many Buddhist trade cities.

After centuries of obscurity, interest in The Silk Route was renewed towards the end of the nineteenth century when various countries began to explore the region.

A feature in the landscape of Dina’s childhood, The Mausoleum of Ismail Samani is one of the oldest Muslem monuments situated along The Silk Route. (Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/eatswords/)

Intrigued by legends of demons in the Taklimakan desert that guarded ancient cities full of treasures, the Swedish explorer Sven Hedin was compelled to search through the treacherous environments. He persevered, and discovered several ruined cities, lost in the sands. They contained thousands of manuscripts, Buddhist paintings, stories and silk temple banners from the T’ang dynasty and earlier. These discoveries prompted a period of frantic digging and the removal of artefacts by various individuals and countries until a change in the Chinese political scene effectively put an end to the archaeological free-for-all. However, books by Hedin and other explores fuelled the Western perception of The Silk Route’s Oriental romance, and when China’s tourist industry began to boom at the end of the 1970s, Chinese authorities recognised the importance of the preservation and restoration of The Silk Route’s remaining sites.

As the influence of The Silk Route vibrantly lives on today, inspiring artists and designers such as Dina Malkova for The Silk Route Fashion, it is fair to say that the story of The Silk Route is far from over. 

An example of contemporary fashion clearly influenced by ethnic style. By Mavluda Khamraeva