Xi'an, 10 Oct (ZXS) -- Why has Zhang Qian's spirit become a "symbol" of Silk Road exchanges?

——Interview with Liang Zhongxiao, professor of Shaanxi University of Technology and president of Hanzhong Zhang Qian Cultural Research Association

China News Agency reporter Alarina

More than 2,000 years ago, Zhang Qian, an outstanding explorer, traveler and diplomat of the Han Dynasty in China, completed a "journey of hollowing" and opened up the "Silk Road" of friendly exchanges between the East and the West. Zhang Qian became a "symbol" of the Silk Road, and the spirit of Zhang Qian has been passed down to this day.

Why can Zhang Qian's spirit be passed down for 2,000 years? What is the practical significance of Zhang Qian's spirit? Liang Zhongxiao, professor of Shaanxi University of Technology and president of the Hanzhong Zhang Qian Cultural Research Association, was interviewed by China News Agency's "East-West Question" to interpret it.

The following is a summary of the interview:

China News Agency: Zhang Qian's two envoys to the Western Regions have had a far-reaching impact, and Zhang Qian's spirit has been passed down to this day. What is the core of its spirit?

Liang Zhongxiao: In 138 BC and 119 BC, Zhang Qian made two envoys to the Western Regions, opening up the world-famous "Silk Road" and promoting political, economic, cultural and other exchanges between the East and the West. Zhang Qian was "strong, lenient, and loved", won the trust of all ethnic groups in the Western Regions, and was later named "Marquis of Bowang" by Emperor Wudi of Han for his military merits and merits in sending to the Western Regions. In 114 BC, Zhang Qian died and was buried in his hometown (present-day Chenggu County, Hanzhong, Shaanxi Province). In 2014, Zhang Qian's tomb was inscribed on the World Heritage List.

Located in the southern foothills of the Qinling Mountains, Hanzhong is the "birthplace of the Han family", and the "Ode to the Stone Gate" of the Eastern Han Dynasty records that "Gaozu was ordered to prosper in Hanzhong". The great lyricist of the Southern Song Dynasty, Xin Jiujian, said, "Hanzhong opens Han industry". Hanzhong not only nurtured Zhang Qian, but also formed a unique Zhang Qian culture.

Zhang Qian's tomb. Photo by Zhang Yuan

Zhang Qian culture is based on the spiritual culture of Zhang Qian's two envoys to the Western Regions and opening up the Silk Road as the soul, with various documents that have recorded Zhang Qian for thousands of years such as "Shiji" and "Book of Han" as the carrier, with the relics of Zhang Qian distributed at home and abroad as resources, relying on the remains of Zhang Qian such as the world cultural heritage of Zhang Qian's tomb in Hanzhong, and supplemented by the stories and legends of Zhang Qian in previous dynasties.

In Zhang Qian's nearly fifty years of life, he dedicated his best years to the great cause of opening up the Silk Road. In the magnificent course of trekking through the Western Regions, hardships and hardships, pioneering and enterprising in the past 20 years, Zhang Qian's spirit that can be sung and wept has been formed: the pioneering spirit of sending out orders, forging ahead bravely, and carving out thousands of miles; unwavering, unswerving, unswervingly patriotic spirit; Honesty in the world, to persuade people with virtue, to be lenient and believe in the moral spirit of people; the inclusive spirit of equal treatment, dialogue among civilizations, and national harmony; Dare to take risks, recognize the Western Regions, and promote the spirit of exploration of communication.

The spirit of the times in which the Han family developed and made meritorious achievements laid the cultural foundation for Zhang Qian's growth into a talent; The grandeur of the reign of Emperor Wudi of Han provided cultural confidence for Zhang Qian's successful opening of the Silk Road.

The cultural exchanges between the north and south of Hanzhong gave the young Zhang Qian a broad vision of the west; The peace war between the farming civilization of the Central Plains and the nomadic civilization of the north during the prosperous era of Han Wu gave the young Zhang Qian a grand world strategy. In the era of the mighty Emperor Wudi of Han, talents emerged and surged up, creating a new pattern of cultural exchange.

A still from the historical dance drama "Zhang Qian". Photo by Liu Xin

China News Agency: Why did Zhang Qian, a pioneer of the ancient Silk Road, become a "symbol" of the Silk Road?

Liang Zhongxiao: The opening of the ancient Silk Road has promoted exchanges and mutual learning between Eastern and Western civilizations, and accumulated the Silk Road spirit with peaceful cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit as the core.

As a pioneer of the ancient Silk Road, Zhang Qian has become an inseparable cultural symbol. In the "History of Dawan Lie", not only does it call Zhang Qian's envoy to the Western Regions "hollow", but also says at the beginning, "The traces of Dawan are seen from Zhang Qian". The Book of Han and the Legend of the Western Regions says: "Zhang Qian began to open the traces of the Western Regions." The "Hanshu Zhang Qian" also says: "Self-Qian opens a foreign road to honor". The "Book of the Later Han and the Legend of the Western Regions" commented: "The customs of the Western Regions have never been heard of before. Han Shi Zhang Qian cherished a far-reaching strategy, and Ban Chao worked hard to become a marquis. In the end, he can make meritorious contributions to the west and detain the outer regions. Liang Qichao, a famous modern historian, praised Zhang Qian as "a stoic and curious man, the first person to open the history of the world." ”

The statue of Zhang Qian at the entrance of the Zhang Qian Memorial Hall. Photo by Zhang Yuan

The British scholar Peter Hopcock noted in his book The Plundering of the Silk Road: "The great westbound Zhang Qian died not long after his return. The emperor gave him great glory. He is still celebrated in China today. It was he who opened the way to Europe to the west, connecting the two great powers of the time, the Han Empire and the Roman Empire. Zhang Qian can be hailed as the father of the Silk Road. ”

Chinese and foreign scholars believe that Zhang Qian's opening of the Silk Road, promoting the integrated development of human civilization, effectively promoting the progress of world civilization and social development, and having epoch-making significance in the history of the development of human civilization. Zhang Qian's "hollowing" of thousands of miles has become an iconic symbol of the "openness" of Chinese civilization.

China News Agency: Two thousand years later, China and the countries that jointly built the "Belt and Road" have become increasingly close exchanges and cooperation, what is the practical significance of inheriting the spirit of Zhang Qian?

Liang Zhongxiao: In the past ten years since the "Belt and Road" initiative was proposed, international exchanges and cooperation to jointly build the "Belt and Road" have become increasingly close. In this context, inheriting and carrying forward the spirit of Zhang Qian is of far-reaching practical significance.

Theme landscape of the 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Photo by Guo Junfeng

Zhang Qian twice made envoys to the Western Regions, opened up channels for exchanges and exchanges between the East and the West, enabled China to establish friendly relations with many countries in Central Asia, West Asia and Europe, and promoted political, economic, and cultural exchanges between the East and the West. Zhang Qian's diplomatic practice has built the basic principles of equal exchanges and friendly coexistence between countries. laid the ideological foundation for future generations to carry out diplomatic activities; It has provided a basis for the formation and development of the basic norms of diplomatic activities in the world today, and has exerted a far-reaching impact on the history of diplomatic relations.

Zhang Qian's feat of envoying the Western Regions showed the world that China not only provides silk and other commodities, but also provides the world with the concept of peaceful diplomacy of "harmony and all nations", the code of conduct of international relations of "strong but not hegemonic", the "Zhang Qian culture" that attaches equal importance to peace and development, and the "Silk Road spirit" of honesty and tolerance. In addition, the "partnership" will be implemented in the economic, security, humanities and other fields, resulting in mutually beneficial economic relations, cooperative security relations and inclusive humanistic relations. The spirit of Zhang Qian and the culture of Zhang Qian should be further protected, excavated, sorted out, refined and sublimated to make it the spiritual link of the Silk Road. (End)

Respondent Profile:

Liang Zhongxiao is a professor at the School of Humanities of Shaanxi University of Technology, executive vice president of the Southern Shaanxi Development Research Institute, director of the Institute of History and Culture of the Hanshui Culture Research Center, director of the Research Center for the Culture of the Two Han and Three Kingdoms and the Culture of the Qin-Shu Ancient Road, and a tutor for master's degree students in Chinese classical philology. Mainly engaged in the research of the culture of the two Han and three countries, classical documents and literature, and regional cultural tourism development. He has published more than 200 academic papers and 5 books.