※ This video is an excerpt from  World Theme Travel - Following the Silk Road II: Gateway to the West, Gansu Province, China and Part 1 , which aired on September 20, 2021.

Part 1: Gateway to the West, Gansu Province, China

The Silk Road, a trade route connecting Asia and Europe established during the Han Dynasty in the 2nd century BC! We set off for Gansu Province, China, the center of the Eastern Silk Road. After arriving in Lanzhou, the provincial capital of Gansu through which the Yellow River flows, we head to the nearby village of Hezheng. There, we encounter a national-level master who lives there?! We receive training in Hua'er, a folk song that has comforted the lives of the Chinese people for over 600 years, and then head to Yangguan, a gateway city of the Silk Road.

After passing the snow-covered Mengke Bingchuan, the road transformed into a desolate desert. Then, a green carpet appeared before our eyes! It turned out that grapes were being dried to produce raisins in their natural state. We tasted the sweet grapes that had entered from the Western Regions via the Silk Road and become a local specialty, and finally discovered traces of the Silk Road at Yangguan! The story of Emperor Wu of Han, the seventh emperor of the Han Dynasty who sought to defeat the Xiongnu, and Zhang Qian, who embarked on a long expedition for this purpose! How did Zhang Qian, who returned to China after 13 years of a turbulent life, become the greatest contributor to the Silk Road?

Leaving Yangguan, we head toward Dunhuang, a gateway to the Western Regions. Become a Silk Road merchant as you climb the desert paths of Mingsha Mountain, surrounded by sand dunes in all directions, and soothe your weary body at the crescent-shaped Crescent Spring (Yueyaquan). Shazhou Market, which lights up at night, was a site where markets were held three times a day during the Silk Road era. Embark on a journey through time while admiring various Silk Road products, such as Suoyang and lamb skewers.

To expand into the Western Regions, Emperor Han Wudi established Wuwei, Jiuquan, and Zhangye as the Four Commanderies of Hexi, in addition to Dunhuang, to serve as forward bases for his advance. If Zhang Qian inspired the dream of the Silk Road, the protagonist who turned that dream into reality was none other than the young General Huo Qubing! We embark on a journey through the Four Commanderies of Hexi, following the story of Guo Qubing, who led 10,000 cavalry troops to subdue the Xiongnu.

Let's travel to Gansu Province, China, where the great stories born of the Silk Road unfold—from the Hui people who settled in China via the Silk Road to the Islamic mosque, Qingzhen!

Part 2: Hidden Scenery on the Silk Road

The Silk Road is the largest trade route between East and West and a path connecting cultures. What hidden scenery awaits us along this path? Our journey begins in Xi'an, a historic city standing at the center of Chinese history. On Huimin Street, which illuminates Xi'an's nights, we taste the street food of the Hui people and trace the remnants of the Silk Road where the foods of various ethnic groups once mingled. Next, we head to Maijishan and Bingling Temple to encounter the Buddhist art that entered China via the Silk Road. Amidst the countless Buddha statues of the Maijishan Grottoes and the majestic Bingling Temple Grottoes, we sense the deep devotion of the merchants who visited this place in the past. Now, the road leads to the West. Passing through the rainbow-hued Qicaishan (Seven-Colored Mountains) along the way, we arrive at Dunhuang, an oasis in the desert. At this hub of the Silk Road connecting to the West, admire the scenery presented by Mingsha Mountain, known as the "Blue Jewel of the Desert," and Yueyaquan, the crescent moon rising over the desert, and recite Du Fu's *Climbing Yueyang Tower*.

✔ Program Title: World Theme Travel - Following the Silk Road II: Gateway to the West, Gansu Province, China; The Road of Han Poetry; Breathtaking Scenery Encountered on the Silk Road, the World's Most Beautiful Scenery

✔ Broadcast Date: September 20, 2021

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