The Silk Road

The routes

For centuries,the Silk Road was the most important line of communication connecting modern day Xi'an with the Middle East and Europe,today one area in particular is associated most closely with the name of the Silk Road.This area is Xinjiang in Northwest China,through which two major routes of the Silk Road passed on the northern and southern side of the Taklamakan desert.

The name

The Silk Road got its name in the 19^th century when a German geographer identified it as the route through which the Romans got their silk from China.However,silk wasn't the only thing that passed along the Silk Road;anything that had buyers was traded along the road.Goods were traded from market to market passing through many hands before they reached their final destinations.

Buddhism

The Silk Road was not just the route through which goods were carried.It was also important for the exchange of ideas.Buddhism from India entered China along the Silk Road and had a huge influence on Chinese culture.Greek art styles were popular along the Silk Road and gave Buddhist statues in Northern India classical Western faces.These styles from Northerm India were also found in Xinjiang.

The people

One of China's famous monks,Xuan Zang,followed the Silk Road in the 6^th century to collect Buddhist scriptures from India.Around 600 years later,one of Europe's famous travellers,MarcoPolo,entered China along the Silk Road.Both Xuan Zang and Marco Polo left detailed records of their journeys along the Silk Road.

The Silk Road today

Today, the Xinjiang Autonomous Region remains an international crossroad where traders from surrounding countries,and tourists from all over the world regularly meet.Trade in precious stones,food,drinks,crafts,art,and of course,silk,contimues,too.

                                                        Want to say "hello" from Disneyland? Send a post card!
   Beautiful scenes of paradise (乐园), wild animals, silly pictures — you can find them all in one place. Where? On a post card! Have people always sent post cards? No. Before post cards, people liked sealed letters.
   The idea for the first decorated (装饰) post card came to John P. Charlton in 1861. He thought a simple card with decorations would be a great way to send a note. Then in the late 1800s, post cards with pictures appeared. By law, people had to write their note on the front ——on the picture! The back was only for the address. Several years later, England allowed a divided-back post card. Then people could write their note on the back left side and put the address on the right. During the early 1900s, the golden age of post cards, picture post cards became a craze of the world. In 1908, Americans alone mailed over 677 million post cards. Today, post cards are the third most popular collection in the world after stamps and coins.

Just 28 years ago, Berlin was a city divided into two by the Berlin Wall. How excitedpeople were as the Berlin Wall came down. Since then, Berlin has become one of the coolest cities in Europe. Here are the main reasons why I think Berlin is cool.

    First, Berlin has cheap hotels and everyday objects (物品). You needn't worry aboutspending too much money when visiting Berlin.

    Second, Berlin knows how to give parties, and there is a festival here every month ofthe year. Perhaps the most famous is the Berlin International Film Festival (the BIFF).

Third, Berlin has beautiful buildings of its own. The Brandenburg Gate is one of thecity's most famous buildings. It's the symbol (象征) of more than 200 years of history. The TV Tower is as good as the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the London Eye.

Lastly, Berlin is a city of living art. Artists can create works of art on the sides ofbuildings.

If you want to visit a European city with culture, cheap objects and lots of colours,Berlin is the place to be. What are you waiting for? Get to Europe's coolest city before anyone else discovers it