Celebrating the Silk Road

A promotion of tourism resources and exhibition of city images along the Silk Road was held on Tuesday in Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi province and the starting point of the ancient Silk Road linking China and Europe some 2,000 years ago.

As part of the activities for the on-going 2012 Conference of Mayors of Cities along the Silk Road held between May 28 and 30 in the city, the event witnessed 20 foreign mayors and 10 Chinese mayors of the cities along the Silk Road introducing their tourism resources and images of the cities along the way from Xi'an to Europe. The aim was to speed up economic and social development in the cities and promote the tourism industry along the Silk Road and cultural exchanges between communities.

With the theme of forging everlasting friendship and building common prosperity, it is hoped it will greatly promote understanding and exchanges between people in the cities along the Silk Road, said Kang Lifeng, deputy director of Xi'an Tourism Bureau.

An exhibition to display the ancient currencies used along the Silk Road was also held with the tourism promotion in Tang king Market, a rebuilt ancient market which was the largest international trade, cultural exchanges and entertainment center in the world some 1,300 years ago.

The ancient Silk Road started at Chang'an (Xi'an's former name), the capital of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC–AD 24). It was a cultural exchange and trading route from ancient China to Europe.