Blog Entry I - Reflections of the Silk Road

When initially contemplating the Silk Road, I, like so many others, romantically envisioned deserts, plains and mountains covering limitless distances, traversed by men and beasts as rugged as the topography; expeditions of merchants and archaeologists transporting precious cargo from east to west and back again, all in the name of accolade and profit. I admit my ignorance in not taking the time to consider that there was more to the Silk Road than it's economic uses; failing to recognize the amalgamation and separation of religions, art and architecture techniques, literature and language, not to mention the blending of the people themselves.

Upon reading Wood's "The Silk Road: Two Thousand Years in the Heart of Asia" I was able to expand my existing knowledge of the Silk Road by linking names, dates and places that were already familiar to me, to form a solid backdrop for the Silk Road. The Silk Road became a more tangible time; from the Han Dynasty of the 2nd century B.C.E. to the Age of Industrialization in the 18th century A.D., and too, became a more tangible place; from China and Mongolia, to India, Iraq and Iran, through to present day Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and the other former Soviet states, Afghanistan and Turkey, until Rome and the rest of Europe.

Almost immediately, it was no longer difficult to picture the arduous journey from Chang'an to Kashgar, north or south through the treacherous Taklamakan, the hostile mountain ranges of Pamir and Hindukush, through endless barren landscapes in Balkh and Merv, and finally to Rome; the epicenter of Europe, and the conquerors and explorers, from Alexander the Great to Aurel Stein, who traversed these places for personal and grand gains alike, despite bandits, wolves and lethal sandstorms, blizzards and droughts.

Due to its cultural and religious mosaics, the beauty of the land and the luxury of the goods it produced, the joining of people so far apart, their ideas of one another and how it affected their relations, their ability to share language, art, and music, the Silk Road retains a form of romanticism despite the very real history behind it. In relation to the music of the Silk Road, I've included a video featuring Yo-Yo Ma's "The Silk Road Project" (which I was fortunate to have seen recently when the tour came through Toronto). While listening to the music, you can pick out various instruments from different places along the Silk Road, and envision the musicians who played their pieces for audiences very far from their homes and perhaps very far from the roots of their own culture. The piece is a perfect, modern interpretation of how the cultures of the Silk Road shared common interests.

Yo-Yo Ma's "The Silk Road Project" - an excerpt from the Lincoln Center, live in New York City.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i08x6OeqC3Y