The Silk Road (from German: Seidenstraße) or Silk Route is a modern term referring to a historical network of interlinking trade routes across the Afro-Eurasian landmass that connected East, South, and Western Asia with the Mediterranean and European world, as well as parts of North and East Africa. Extending 4,000 miles (6,500 km), the Silk Road gets its name from the lucrative Chinese silk trade along it, which began during the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD). The central Asian sections of the trade routes were expanded around 114 BC by the Han dynasty, [not in citation given] largely through the missions and explorations of Zhang Qian, but earlier trade routes.
Shangri-La is the "Eden in dream". Since it first appeared in British novelistJames Hilton's Lost Horizon in the 1939, it has been associated withthe mystique of a place which could not possibly exist here on Earth. In Tibetan,Shangri-La means the "sun and moon in heart", an ideal home only found in heaven.There the lofty and continuous snowy mountains, endless grasslands, steep andgrand gorges, azure lakes and the bucolic villages always leave a deep impressionon visitors. Located at point where Tibet, Sichuan and Yunnan all meet, Shangri-La County is administered by Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province. In the past, Shangri-La was called Zhongdian or "Jiantang" in Tibetan. In ancient times, it together with Batang (in Tibet) and Litang (in Sichuan) was the fiefdom of the three sons of a Tibetan King. In 2002, Zhongdian changed its name to Shangri-La.
Tibet Autonomous Region is located in the southwest China, the main part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It borders on Sichuan and Yunnan provinces to the east, Qinghai and Xinjiang to the north. Famous for the "Roof of the World", the region has an average elevation of more than 4,000 meters with various complex landforms, such as: high and steep mountains, deep valleys, glaciers, bare rocks and Gobi deserts. It is bitterly hot in summer, with a distinct difference in temperature between day and night.
With the strong influence from the geography of the Himalayas, and the neighboring civilizations of India and China, Tibet is famous for its imposing scenery, culture and history, which firmly rooted in Tibetan religion. As soon as you step onto this mysterious land and follow the tracks of the pilgrims, you will not only be immediately attracted by the snow-clad peaks, the wonderful mountains and rivers, but also the brilliant Tibetan culture and the unique, mysterious customs of the highland.
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