The Silk Road Event

​It is how ancient China communicated with and opened itself to the world.
It is one of the most important trade routes in world history.
It is a traditional delivery road between East and West.
It is a bridge connecting human cultures, especially between agricultural and nomadic civilizations.
The Silk Road started from Changan, China. It was a business passageway that connected with Asia, Africa and Europe. The Silk Road was established by Zhang Qian, who had already traveled to the West twice. After the Silk Road was established, a new era of communication between East and West started.

Time: Fri Nov.3 4-6pm
Location: IU Mathers Museum of World Culture
Chinese Calligraphy Club puts on a cultural event on the Silk Road.

​Program
“The Silk Road”, theater drama,
by Heping Theater Club
“Uyghur Kizi”, Xinjiang dance,
by Juer
“The Spring on Mount Tianshan”,
      Calligraphy: Yangkun Lu
Pipa: Zixuan Wang
“Half a Pot of Yarn”.
Guzheng: Shuting Feng,
Dance: Xinyi Shen

​Calligraphy
Bamboo script is ancient calligraphy written on a piece of bamboo or wood. Bamboo script, from the Han dynasty, is an ancient relic that was often found on the Silk Road. During the Han dynasty, the history of the connections of China with Middle Asia, West Asia, and North Asia was recorded using bamboo script. 

​Tea art
The name of the “Silk Road” was proposed by Ferdinand von Richthofen, who was a German geologist, to describe the northern routes of the Silk Road. The “Tea Horse Road”, also commonly known as the southern Silk Road, was proposed by Chinese scholars based on their observations and experiences of the cultures of the routes. This name has more meaning underneath. The middle and lower reaches of the Lantsang River, Ailao Mountains, and Mt. Wuliangshan are the origins of tea, and tea is an important landmark and cultural representation of southwest China. Just like silk and porcelain, tea is also one of China’s worldwide commodities. The distribution of tea and the spread of tea culture are the core of the Tea Horse Route. The tea traveled a long way from its origin to the consumers, which meant it passed through different cultures and places. 

​Xiangnang(Sachet)
Fragrant and incense were highly valuable commodities that were only sold in small quantities. China has a long history of using sweet-smelling spices and perfumes. The usage of spices and perfumes includes burning, boiling, and mixing them with alcohol. The spices and perfume were made from different plants in their natural state, and some came from the south China, or were imported from other countries. During the Qin and Han dynasties, China became more united and expanded its territories to the southern provinces, where the spice and perfume trade was thriving. As a result, more and more spices and perfumes were distributed throughout China. When the Silk Road became more popular, more spices and perfumes begun to be mutually exchanged between southern Asia and Europe.

​Ancient Chinese Printing Press
The invention of the printing press made China the first and only country that could easily replicate words and had the largest number of books. The spread of the printing press had pushed the art of duplication into a new era, and it was a landmark for world progress. Because of those contributions, the printing press became known as the “Mother of Civilization”. “The Contribution of Song Dynasty Technology” pointed out that the printing press was a cultural addition and a scientific technology. After Chinese inventions developed and became mature, they started to spread out to the whole world. For instance, North Korea used the printing press to print books during the 10th and 11th centuries.

​Because of China’s rich traditions of archery, the game of pitch-pot appeared. It was created two thousand years ago and consisted people throwing sticks into a pot with several openings.

​Chinese tassels
The line and string twist together to become a knot, and it represents the unity of the Chinese people. It was also carried on the Silk Road, and shared to the whole world.

​Western style
The river, prairie, the Gobi Desert, and the people who lived there created their own culture. Since the Silk Road ran through the western part of China, traders from the east wanted to guarantee that they could pass through the region safely. Fruit in the western part of China became ripe and began to fall during autumn and winter, so traders saw these seasons as the best time to visit the Silk Road since the ripe fruit in the West would ensure that they would be well-nourished.

​The instrument exhibition
During the show, Mathers Museum of World Cultures will feature instruments from countries that the Silk Road passed through.