The ancient Silk Road began in Chang 'an, China, which was the capital of Han and Tang Dynasties. At that time, after silk and other commodities were concentrated in Chang 'an, merchants from all over the country formed caravans, crossed the Shaanxi-Gansu Plateau, crossed Wushaoling, passed through Wuwei, Gansu, crossed the Hexi Corridor, and reached Dunhuang, the main traffic artery between China and the West at that time. In addition, Qinghai is also an important passage of the Silk Road, and further west is the Taklimakan Desert in Xinjiang. After the Silk Road reached Xinjiang via Hexi Corridor, it was divided into three roads:
North Road, through Yiwu (now Hami), Beiting (now Jimsar), to Urumqi, and then through Shihezi, Arimuri (now Huocheng) and Yili to the Black Sea coast;
Zhongdao, passing Turpan, Yanqi, Luntai, Kuqa, Wensu and Kashgar, crossing the Pamirs and reaching the Mediterranean;
South Island, through Sunshine, Ruoqiang, Qiemo, Yutian and shache, crossed the Amu Darya River and arrived in Istanbul.