The Silk Road (Entry #1)

While reading the first few chapters of this book, I enjoyed how almost every sentence painted a vivid picture of what it was like in the ancient world. It made me think anybody would be lucky enough to experience the enchanting and adventurous Silk Road. Although many of these sections illustrate a “romantic” depiction of the Silk Road, I knew it had to be the exact opposite.

The terrain for much of the journey seems unbearable. Explorers and the like had to go without water for miles in deserts, while other climates made it impossible to maintain liquids from freezing. This reminded me of my journey to the Himalayas and it brought back some of these “romantic” notions I had about the place.

(Map of the Himalayas)

[Click on the images for the full picture]

Before even getting there, I was excited by the thought of trekking 19 kilometers up on mountains that were surrounded by nature in its true form. A setting much like what the voyagers on the Silk Road would have experienced… untouched by modern technology and the avaricious hands of corporations. We had the options of getting a donkey or horse but like my brother, I was eager to do it myself. However, when we got there, my feelings suddenly changed when I saw the height of the mountains and felt the weight of my bag clenching my shoulders.


(Some of the villages within the mountains)

As we walked with sticks in our hands, I looked at many of the villagers and was astonished that not a single person was out of breath like the rest of us. How could they walk on such rigid trails? And how could they carry such heavy sacks up and down the mountains, day after day? I soon realized that just as we are used to our own environment, so were these villagers. They had adapted to their surroundings. While it might have been difficult for missionaries and explorers to tough it out in these landscapes, it made me think that perhaps the people occupying the regions would not describe it as being awfully inhospitable.


(Women carrying wood to bring to the temples)

Another thing that was interesting for me was the lack of awareness for the existence of other cultures. Although there was political tension (particularly because of colonization), I assumed that the connection all these places had with one another and with the sharing and trading of materials would lead to an abundant knowledge of different cultures and lifestyle. Being the “stream of life”, I viewed the Silk Road as a connection that brought everyone together, aside from the fact that it served as an economic commodity (Wood, 11). However, the description given by European travelers of others is inhumane as seen when Dana Skrine refers to the various merchants as “people without minds” (Wood, 25).


(Silk merchants)

Nevertheless, it was not just the explorers that held such ignorant ideas. Instead of viewing each other as humans, they all portray one another as “beasts”, the very term that they also give to animals. The Chinese referred to outside territories as “outlandish culture” (Wood, 26) and created myths of monsters residing within the West.

Lastly, I noticed how many of the goods that were traded, such as jade and silk were extremely valued in the ancient world. Jade was especially treasured by the Chinese, so much that Confucius correlated it with human qualities, such as righteousness. Conversely, in this modern world such materials are no longer treasured to the extent that it was in the past, possibly because technology has made it easier to obtain things that previously required hard labour.

Works Cited
Wood, Frances. The Silk Road: Two Thousand Years in the Heart of Asia. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California, 2002.