A large-scale multinational media event dubbed “Thousands of Miles on the Silk Road 2024 · Road to Prosperity” was launched on Thursday in Xi’an International Port, northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, marking the start of a journey traversing 13 countries across Asia and Europe to Paris, France. Meanwhile, a China-Europe freight train also joined the cultural activity to embark on the magnificent journey that covers 16,000 kilometers across the Eurasian continent by both highway and rail.
Founded about 3,100 years ago, Xi’an, now the capital of China’s Shaanxi Province, served as the capital for 13 dynasties in Chinese history. This is also the place where Zhang Qian began his journey to the Western regions via Central Asia during the Western Han Dynasty (around 202 BC-AD 25) as an envoy of China. This expedition eventually led to the opening of the ancient Silk Road.
The city is also known for one of its most sacred monuments, the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, where eminent Monk Xuanzang translated volumes of Buddhist scriptures during Tang Dynasty (618-907). Monk Xuanzang is known for traveling thousands of miles to the revered Indian monastery of Nalanda, where he studied Buddhism for five years under the guidance of Abbot Silabhadra.
The 52-day event will follow the footsteps of such Silk Road pioneers as Zhang Qian and Xuanzang. Using new media formats and technological tools, this initiative aims to build a platform for cultural trade exchanges and educational cooperation among Belt and Road countries, and comprehensively showcase the Silk Road in the new era.