Eurasia, also known as "Eurasia", isAsia continentandContinental EuropeIt covers an area of more than 50 million square kilometers.fromPlate tectonicsIt can be seen that Eurasia is composed ofEurasian plate 、Indian Plate 、Arabian plateandEast SiberiaWhereNorth America PlateConsists of.Eurasia can also beFormer Soviet UnionAfter the dissolution of the region where the various joined republics are located.AsiaandEuropeThe geographical environment is complex and diverse, the natural landscape is connected and transitional, and the economic and social development have their own characteristics.
Europe is geographically divided into several peninsulas stretching westward from Asia into the Atlantic Ocean.There is no obvious boundary between the two continents. The division is cultural rather than physical.Traditionallythe Ural Mountains、Ural River、Caspian Sea、Great Caucasus Mountains, Black Sea andStrait of Bosporus(Turkey Strait) as the boundary.Russian geographers put the Ural Mountains into Europe and the Great Caucasus Mountains into Asia.
The western part of Europe bordering on the northarctic ocean, westAtlantic, facing Africa across the Mediterranean in the south.The east is culturally divided intoUralMountainsUral River、Caspian Sea、Caucasus Mountains、Strait of Bosporus、Marmara SeaandDardanelles StraitAs EurasianDividing line。The European continent is in the middle and high latitudes, and the southernmost point isIberian PeninsulaThe northernmost point isNorwaynorthNolchen angle(71 ° 08 'N), the westernmost point is theRocca angle(9 ° 30 ′ west longitude), and the easternmost point is at the northern end of Ural Mountains (66 ° 10 ′ east longitude).The mainland is wide in the east and narrow in the west, slightly triangular.
The eastern part of the Asian part of Eurasia borders the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean andarctic ocean，Southwest AsiaTo the northwest ofmediterranean seaandBlack Sea。The northernmost point of the mainland is in the Tamil PeninsulaChelius Golden Horn(77 ° 44 'N), the southernmost point isMalay PeninsulaCape Piet (1 ° 15 ′ N);The northernmost point of the island isNorthland Islands(81 ° north latitude), with the southernmost point atNusa Tenggara IslandsOfRhode Island(10 ° 45 ′ S).Asia has the broadest latitude in all continents, with almost all climatic zones from the equator to the Arctic andNatural zone。The easternmost point of the mainland isChukchi PeninsulaOnCape Geraniov(169 ° 45 'west longitude), the westernmost point is theBaba Cape(26 ° 10 ′ E), which also spans the widest longitude, with east-west time difference of 11 hours.
climate
The climate of Asia and Europe is mainly temperate continental climate, except that there is noTemperate marine climateOthers are included;The main climate in Europe is also temperate continental climate.
Characteristic terrain
There are the largest and most typical archipelago arranged in an arc on the east and southeast sides of the Asian continent.The terrain on the island is rugged, and the outer side of the islands is close to a deep trench;The characteristic landform of Europe is the alpine mountain glacier landform. The former has a great impact on Europe. Because of its role, the northern half of Europe is covered with glacier landform.
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The Asian continent was not a complete landmass, but experienced a process of land formation from small to large, from dispersion to convergence.According to the difference of geological basis and geological development history of each region, it can be divided into 6 structural units:
① South Asia continental region.
② Central axis continental area.
These three continental regions have experienced many strongFolding movementAnd laid the foundation of the Asian ancient platform.
④ South Asia intercontinental region.
⑤ North Asia intercontinental region.
⑥ Pacific Rim.
The outline of the Asian continent today is the result of the continuous development and evolution of the above-mentioned tectonic units through tectonic movements in various geological periods.
Encyclopedia x Misunderstanding: Illustrating Ural Mountains
Causes
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The formation of Eurasia was beforeCambrianAncient landmass as the coreGeological periodIn the long process of combining and separating with adjacent landmasses, along with multiple crustal movements, CaledoniaHaixi、Ural、The AlpsThe isofold belt has gradually laid the tectonic foundation of the continent.
Asia and Europe are connected, forming the world's largest landmass - Eurasia.In geological structure, Eurasia was not a whole tectonic landmass.As early aspermianUral Ocean The final closure of the Russian platformsiberian platform Inlaid, forming a north-south Ural fold belt, from which the Eurasian continent is connected.
Humanistic history
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sketch
The Eurasian continent has formed the“Central zone”。It occupies two fifths of the world's land and nine tenths of the world's population. It is the birthplace of the earliest and most advanced civilization of mankind.The world history before 1500 years is essentially the history of Eurasia, as explained here.Only on the Eurasian continent can there be a huge and continuous interaction between various nations and civilizations.althoughAustralian aboriginesResidents and American Indians lived in complete isolation, and Africans in sub Saharan Africa lived in semi isolation for thousands of years. On the contrary, Eurasians have been exchanging various technologies, ideas, systems and goods with each other during this period.
The internal interaction between Asia and Europe was much smaller before 1500 than after 1500, because after 1500, the regions established direct maritime links.1500 years ago, the interaction between Asia and Europe varied from time to time.Generally speaking, in the early thousands of years, this kind of interaction was the most restricted. Later, its scope gradually expanded and its speed gradually accelerated.For thousands of years before Christ, in the Nile Basin, the Tigris Euphrates River BasinIndus RiverMost of the ancient civilizations that flourished in the river basin and the Yellow River basin were confined to their limited areas.Of course, they also have some exchanges with each other;In fact, the real origin of civilization in these regions can be used to some extentMesopotamian civilizationThe spread of various technologies.However, the fact remains that these early civilizations were like oases in the desert, surrounded by large areas of barbarism, and the exchanges that occurred across the barbarism were very limited.
Classical times
In the centuries of classical civilization, this pattern has undergone fundamental changes.By 100 AD, when the classical era reached its peak, the Roman Empire had expanded to the entire Mediterranean region,Parthian Empire It extends to the whole Middle East,kushan empire The Han Dynasty of China covered all the remaining areas from the east to the Pacific Ocean.Therefore, the political entities in this period occupied a complete area rather than justLarge river basin；The civilized world is like a continuous belt fromScottish HighlandsIt extends to Southeast Asia.As a result, various new and large-scale exchanges have emerged among regions.During this period, various religions such as Christianity and Buddhism began to spread to most parts of the Eurasian continent, which not only had a profound religious impact on these regions, but also had a broad political and cultural impact.At this time, the mixed Greek Middle Eastern culture, which is famous for its Greek culture, also spread from the eastern Mediterranean to western Asia, North AfricaIranian Plateau, Central AsiaSouth Asia SubcontinentNorthwest China, and to a certain extent spread to China and Japan.During this period, regional trade also increased significantly.Trade is conducted by land and sea.The goods exchanged are:Imperium RomanumLinen, copper, tin and glass, cotton fabrics, spices and gems from India, spices from Southeast Asia and silk from China;Among them, silk ranks first.
Encyclopedia x ignorance: illustrating the Parthian Empire
After the Middle Ages
Later, in the Middle Ages, the interaction between the peoples of Asia and Europe was even greater than in the past, because there was an unprecedented trans regional empire.Between 632 and 750 AD, Muslims occupied vast areas and established aPyreneesTo Indus River Basin, fromMoroccoA great empire on the border of China (Tang Dynasty).In the following centuries, Islam further expanded to Central Asia, India, Southeast Asia and the African mainland.What is more impressive is the Mongol Empire in the 13th century, which includes Korea, China, Central AsiaKievan Rus And most of the Middle East.
This opened people's eyes, which can be shown by the achievements of some famous travelers at that time;They made use of the peace and security in Muslim cities and the Mongolian Empire to travel back and forth across the Eurasian continent.The most famous traveler in the West isVeniceMarco Polo (1254-1324).He served Kublai Khan, the Mongolian ruler, as governor of a city in China with millions of residents;When he returned home after 25 years of travel and told his compatriots about his adventures, they were all surprised.The Muslim Ibn Batuta (1304-1378) traveled more widely.He set out from his hometown Morocco to visit Mecca, the Holy Land, and then passedSamarkandTravel to India;There, he served as a judge and also served as an envoy to China.Later, he returned to Morocco and continued his journey, first crossing the sea to Spain and then sailing southCentral African, Last ArriveYanbak Chart。Laban Ba Soma, a Nestorian monk, is less famous. He was born in Beijing, and his travel is from east to west, across Eurasia.In 1287, he arrived atMesopotamiaAnd then go to the Mongolian court via the monarch TandinburgNaplesRome, Paris and London;On the way, he wasFrenchkingphilip iv andEnglandkingEdward I Interview with.
Cultural migration
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Overview of changes
Within the Eurasian continent, such integration and interaction are not continuous.All empires rise and fall in different ways, rising and falling at different times;The same is true of the traffic channels, which are sometimes unblocked and sometimes blocked.The silk trade between China and the West flourished for a while, but with the collapse of the Roman Empire and the Han Empire, it declined into a trickle.Similarly, European merchants could not follow Marco Polo's example for a long time because of the premature fragmentation of the Mongolian Empire.However, the fact remains that in the whole period 1500 years ago, compared with the scattered and isolated regions in the non Eurasian world, the Eurasian continent was a vibrant and constantly self renewing whole.Compared with the rest of the world, the degree of isolation of various regions within the Eurasian continent is fundamentally different;This difference is most important to world history.
Famous AnthropologistBoasComments have been made pointing out the significance of this fundamental difference.He said: Human history has proved that the cultural progress of a social group often depends on whether it has the opportunity to learn from the experience of neighboring social groups.All the discoveries of one social group can be passed on to other social groups;The more diverse the communication between each other, the more opportunities for mutual learning.In general, the tribes with the most primitive culture are those that have been isolated from the outside world for a long time. Therefore, they cannot benefit from the cultural achievements of neighboring tribes.In other words, if other geographical factors are the same, the key to human progress lies in the accessibility and mutual influence between different ethnic groups.Only those nationalities that are most accessible and have the most opportunity to interact with other nationalities are most likely to achieve rapid development;However, those isolated and lacking of external stimulation are mostly stagnant.If this hypothesis is applied to the whole world, then among all the larger groups, the most slow developing should be the remote Australian aborigines, followed by the American Indians, then the black people in sub Saharan Africa, and finally the most unimpeded and most advanced peoples in Asia and Europe - they are constantly interacting with each other and the scope of interaction is increasingly broad.
Of course, after 1500 years, European explorers found that the difference in the level of cultural development was exactly the same: Australian aborigines were still in thePaleolithic AgeThe stage of food collection;AmericaIndianThe level of development varies from California tribes still in the Paleolithic Age to highly developed Mexican civilization, Central American civilization andPeruCivilization;African blacks show similar diversity, but their overall development level is higher;Finally, at a completely different level are the very advanced and complex civilizations in Eurasia - the Muslim civilization in the Middle East, the Hindu civilization in South Asia and the Confucian civilization in East Asia.If Boas's hypothesis is only applied to Eurasia, it will help explain why the Middle East ranks first in history.The Middle East is located at the crossroads between the three continents;In fact, for most of the history, the Middle East has been the first place for human progress.In addition to Christianity, Judaism and Islam, agriculture, urban life and civilization all originated in the Middle East.In addition, it is worth noting that civilization developed in the Middle East as early as about 3500 BC, took root in India around 2500 BC, and began to grow in China and Western Europe at the end, about 1500 BC - because China is located at the eastern end of the Eurasian continent isolated from the world, and Western Europe is located at the western end of the Eurasian continent isolated from the world.
Self cognition
1500 years ago, Western Europe was almost always the so-called underdeveloped area today.The nationalities in Western Europe are located in the marginal zone, from where they peep into the interior, they fully realize that they are isolated and vulnerable;A passage by William (Mamsbury), a 12th century British chronicler, clearly shows this point.He said:
The division of the world is unfair.In the three major parts of the world, our enemies occupy Asia as their hereditary homeland.Asia is a part of the world;Our ancestors believed that it was equal to the sum of the other two parts, which was correct.Once upon a time, our religion spread its branches here;All but two of the apostles died here.If there are Christians living in some parts of Asia, they can barely survive by farming. They pay tribute to their enemies and silently hope that we can help them regain their freedom.The same is true of Africa, the second part of the world. Our enemies have occupied it by force for more than 200 years;This is a greater threat to the Christian world, because Africa once provided for these people like the most scheming elves, and their actions will make this stagnating era survive as long as the Latin language is not affected by the Christian Bible.The third part is the rest of the world - Europe.We Christians only live in a part of Europe, because who would like to give the reputation of Christians to those barbarians who live on remote islands and make a living in the ice sea like whales?Although this small part of the world belongs to us, we are forced to accept the bellicose Turks and Saracens: they have occupied Spain andBalearic islandsIt has been 300 years and is expected to engulf other regions.
It can be seen that there is a huge difference between the timid and medieval Europeans and their confident and aggressive descendants.Their descendants set out from the besieged peninsula and won the control of foreign routes. The besieged became the besiegers, thus determining the main trend of world history until now.
Trade and exchange
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Eurasia
Just as the formation of the core area of Eurasia in the early period distinguished the classical period from the ancient period, the formation of the mature core area of Eurasia now distinguishes the medieval period from the classical period.In the past, technological improvements, especially the large-scale production of ironware and its multiple impacts on all aspects of life, contributed to the formation of the core area of the early Eurasian continent.The further improvement of technology, especially the development of shipbuilding and navigation industry, has also promoted the formation of the mature core area of Eurasia.But in these centuries, more important is the political reason - the first time in history there has been a huge empire;They not only occupy some large river basins as in ancient times, or whole areas as in classical times, but also span several regions, covering most of the whole Eurasian continent.
as everyone knows,Alexander the GreatyesGanges River BasinOr China knows nothing;In fact, the Roman Empire and the Han Empire at both ends of Eurasia did not have any direct contact with each other.The reason is thatAlexander EmpireMainly confined to the Middle EastSouth Asia SubcontinentIn the northwest, there is only one very unstable stronghold.andImperium RomanumandHan EmpireIn fact, it is limited to the east and west ends of Eurasia.In sharp contrast, the Islamic Empire, the earliest formed in the Middle Ages, had expanded its territory from the Pyrenees to the Indian Ocean by the middle of the 8th centuryMoroccoIt extends to the Chinese border.In the following centuries, Islam further expanded to Central Asia, Southeast Asia and even the African mainland.In the 13th century, the Mongol Empire gave a deeper impression. Its territory includes Korea, China, the whole Central Asia, Russia and most of the Middle East. It is the largest empire in Asia and Europe.
The empire's unprecedented territory made it possible for Asia and Europe to have direct contact and mutual influence, thus eliminating the isolation between regions in the past.This chapter will describe the nature of the new commercial connection, technical connection, religious connection and knowledge connection.
at sea
In the classical period, the Roman Empire andHan EmpireIts continued existence has promoted the comprehensive development of the trade industry.On the contrary, the collapse of these empires destroyed and weakened this trade.However, in the Middle Ages, the emergence of the Islamic Empire and the Mongolian Empire made this trade flourish again and reached a new height.
The Muslim conquest unified the entire Middle East, which is the hub of all trade routes across the Eurasian continent;There are two roads leading to the Black Sea andSyriaThe land routes of the ports also crossCrimson SeaAnd the waterways of the Persian Gulf.Througharabian seaThe trade with Malabar coastal area in southwest India is particularly prosperous.A large number of Muslim businessmen, mostly Arabs and PersiansCeylonVarious ports settled down, and horses, silver, ironware, linen, cotton and woolen goods were shipped from the west to the east in exchange for silk, gems, teak and various spices.
Muslim merchants continued to sail from India and CeylonMalayaCoastalCalabar(Jida) From here, some people went south and arrivedSumatraAnd Java, and some people passed throughMalacca StraitAnd then go north to Kanfu in southern China（Guangzhou）。The usual plan of Muslim businessmen is to leave the Persian Gulf in September and October, sail to India and Malaya by the northeast monsoon, arrive at the Chinese waters in time, and sail to Guangzhou by the south monsoon.Spend the summer in Guangzhou, then take the northeast monsoon back to the Malacca StraitBay of BengalIn the early summer of the next year, it took a year and a half to return to the Persian Gulf.
In 671 AD, after the first batch of Muslims came to Guangzhou, many people settled here as in the ports of the Indian Ocean.Local authorities allowed them to exercise autonomy, so they elected their own leaders to maintain order in their residential areas.Some descendants of Muslim families, like later onesMarco PoloSimilarly, they serve in Chinese administrative bodies.By 758, the number of Muslims was large enough to attack Guangzhou. As a result, the Chinese closed their ports for foreign trade.In 792, the port was reopened, and Guangzhou satin continued to become the business center of Muslim merchants until 878, when they were killed by Chinese rebels.Since then, Muslim businessmen and Chinese businessmen have traded in Karabar, Malaya.
By the Song Dynasty (960-1127), Chinese ports were once again open to the outside world.During the Song Dynasty, the Chinese made great progress in shipbuilding and navigation. At the end of the 12th century, they began to replace Muslims in East Asia and Southeast Asia.MongolianAfter the conquest of China and the establishment of the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368), China's ships were the largest and best equipped;Chinese businessmen spread all over Southeast Asia and Indian ports.In 1291, when Marco Polo escorted a Mongolian princess to Iran via Southeast Asia, he witnessed and described the grand occasion of China's navigation industry;Fifty years later, Arab travelersIbn Battutah I also witnessed and described this grand occasion when I went to China by way of India on a Chinese sailing boat.The situation of China's import and export trade is also noteworthy, which shows that China played a leading role in the world economy during this period.In addition to fine grained cotton fabrics, the imported goods also include leather and horses from Central Asia and high-quality wood, jade, spices, ivory and other raw materials from South Asia.Besides minerals, there are also books, paintings, especially porcelain, silk and other products for export.
In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), China's navigation activities reached their peak, culminating in the remarkable but short-lived maritime advantages in the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean at the beginning of the 15th century.From 1405 to 1433, a court eunuch named Zheng He led a fleet of ships to the Western Ocean seven times, which can illustrate this point.The seven ocean voyages were unprecedented in scale and achievements.The first voyage of 28000 people, 62 ships, all the way to Java, Ceylon andKalikat。On the way home, a pirate fleet in Sumatra tried to stop the rhyme, but the whole army was destroyed.Later, several voyages were more distant, reaching as far as the east coast of Africa, the Persian Gulf andCrimson SeaHaikou.The Chinese have also been to more than 30 ports in the Indian Ocean. At each port, they persuade or force the local rulers to recognize the Ming Dynasty emperor'sSuzerainty。When all this happened, the Portuguese were just beginning to grope along the coast of Africa. It was not until 1445 that they arrived in Cape Verde.
In 1433, the emperor suddenly issued a decree to stop these famous voyages.The reason why the voyage started and ended is still a mystery.It is speculated that the launch of Yuanhang may be to make up for the loss of foreign trade on land caused by the collapse of the Mongolian Empire, or to improve the prestige of the imperial court, or to find a hermit monk predecessor of the emperor.It is also speculated that the termination of the voyage was due to the excessive cost or the conflict between the palace eunuchs and the Confucian bureaucrats.In any case, the withdrawal of the Chinese left a power vacuum in the waters of East and South Asia.So the Japanese pirates harassed and robbed the Chinese coast, and the Muslim Arabs regained their previous advantages in the Indian Ocean.Although the Arabs are good at doing business, they are scattered and lack of resources, so they cannot develop into a powerful navy established by the Chinese in a short time.Therefore, in 1498, when the Portuguese bypassed Africa and entered the Indian Ocean, they did not encounter any strong resistance and established their western maritime hegemony.
Onshore
At the same time, due to the rise of the Mongol Empire, a great change took place in land trade.For the first and only time in history, a political power straddled the Eurasian continent, namely, fromthe BalticTo the Pacific, fromSiberiaTo the Persian Gulf.In the middle of the 14th century, an Italian pamphlet describedDon RiverTana at the mouth of the river and the trade routes across Central Asia outline the great significance of Mongolia's peacetime commerce.
According to the businessmen coming and going on this road, it is absolutely safe to walk on the road from Tana to China, day or nightYou might think that from Tana to Salai (located inVolga RiverThis section of the road is not as safe as any other section.However, even at the worst time of the road, if 60 people go together, they will feel as safe as staying at home.
In 1264,Kublai khanFrom MongoliaHalahelinMoving the capital to Beijing inadvertently opened the door to European businessmen;These businessmen usually do business along the trade routes that cross the Eurasian continent.The first Europeans to come to Kublai Khan's new court were not diplomatic envoys, but two Venetian merchants: Nicola Polo and Mafio Polo.However, for the first time, it reached India, the birthplace of spices, andEast IndiesIt has greater economic value than China.Spices have always been transported to Europe by two routes;Or via the Red Sea and Egypt to the Black Sea or ports in the eastern Mediterranean;Or enter the Persian Gulf, and then the caravan will prevent the goods from being transported to these ports.The first route is controlled by Arabs and Venetians;The Arabs transported spices to Egypt by boat, and the Venetians transported spices fromAlexandriaShip the goods to Europe for sale.The second route is from the Mongol rulers of Persia and Mesopotamia (Ilkhanate) toGenoaHuman control;Genoese wait for spices at the port transfer station.
However, the Genoese are not satisfied with just sailing in the Black Sea.They sailed fromAzov SeaGo up along the Linghe River, or take a bullock cart through a narrow strip of land to reachVolgaRiver, from here to the Caspian Sea and Persia.In this way, the Genoese could reach the Persian Gulf and go directly to India and the East Indies.They found that spices were very cheap in the country of origin. In the past few centuries, many brokers matched and sold spices between Southeast Asian producers and European consumers, and made huge profits.
In the peaceful period under Mongolian rule, the resumption of land trade was only temporary.One of the reasons is that the Mongols were driven out of China in 1368, and the Mongolian Empire completely collapsed, which split Central Asia again, leading to the collapse of trade between Asia and Europe.More importantly, the Kazan Khan of the Ilkhanate (1295-1304) converted to Islam and unintentionally cut off EuropeansSpice Islands The transportation route of.Since then, almost all the spices have traveled from the Red Sea tothe NileRoute, ship transportation, make Arab andVenice BrokerGet huge profits.However, some Europeans are unwilling to continue to pay the high price, especially because they now know the origin and price of spices, and they began to look for a new way to avoid the barrier of Muslims. As a resultDa GamaIt has opened up an epoch-making route around Africa.
Religious communication
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The Middle Ages was characterized not only by the unprecedented exchange of goods and technology between Asia and Europe, but also by the unprecedented spread of religious beliefs.As far as Christianity and Buddhism are concerned, they began to spread at the end of the classical period and continued to spread in the Middle Ages.But in the Middle AgesCenturiesThe most famous religious innovation movement is the emergence of Islam.In addition to its teachings, this new religionMohammedAfter his death, he suddenly spread widely from the Arabian Peninsula, which had a profound impact on the Eurasian continent and vast areas of Africa.
The spread of Islam (described in detail later) can be divided into two stages: the first stage, from 632 to 750, Islam first spread throughout the Middle East, and then westward to the Pyrenees Mountains.Eastward to Central Asia;The final result is actually to turn the Mediterranean into a Muslim lake.In the second stage, from 1000 to 1500, during these centuries, Islam was further spread to India, Southeast Asia and Africa, making the Indian Ocean a Muslim reserve.
The huge expansion of Islamic territory naturally frightened the rulers of the besieged Christian world, who were actually isolated at the western end of the Eurasian continent.This is also the reason why the rulers of the Christian world reacted ambivalent when the Mongols rose in the 13th century.The plunder and massacre of Mongols made them lose their souls;These massacres and looting showed that the advance of Mongolian cavalry seemed irresistible.In 1260, the PopeAlexander IV In his instruction (Clamat in auribus), he called on the monarchs of all Christian countries to unite in the face of common dangers:TatarsThese are like Tatars suddenly emerging from the mysterious hell"
However, as Westerners have seen, the scene is not completely dark.Although the Mongols conquered the Christian Russians, that is, the Greek Orthodox believers, they hit Islam's Persia and Mesopotamia most destructively.When desperate Muslims ask the rulers of Christian countries for assistance,WinchesterSome Westerners also believe that the Mongolian invaders are God given interveners who support the Christian cause and are powerful allies against the old enemy Islam.They even hope that the new barbarians can be like the formerMazarConvert to Christianity like the Vikings.Because they know nothing about civilization, have no high-level religious beliefs, and lack the support of organized clergy, it seems that the time for these Mongols to convert and assimilate is ripe.
However, Catholics were not the only ones to do business with MongolsThree major religionsOur representatives are competing in Asia.Among them, Islam is the most aggressive;They crossed from PersiaOxus River, expanded to Central Asia, and won the support of some Turkic tribes.Buddhism did not exist in India, its birthplaceTurkistanOf“the Silk Road"In the process of its introduction into China, the Mongols were also familiar with it. Finally, they were Nestorians, whose origins can be traced back toEphesus Conference(431), when they were accused of being pagans, the Nestorians withdrew from the Roman Empire to Persia. Later, under the pressure of advancing Islam, they crossed Central Asia by land to enter China.Therefore, they can convert all Turkic tribes;When the Mongol Empire expanded, these Turks who converted to Christianity served as administrative officials, literal or oral interpreters and envoys for the Mongols.
Just when these Nestorians were eager for Mongolian conversion, Catholics sent two missionary groups to the Great Khan Court in Halahelin, northern Mongolia.The first missionary group (1245-47) was led by the Franciscan monk John Capini Piano;The second missionary group (1253-55) was founded byFlanders The Franciscan monks were led by William Ruberuk.Both envoys went to the Mongolian court and found that the khans were very interested in all foreign religions.William Xiutu was invited to recite hymns in a Western way and explain the illustrations in the Bible.However, a few days later, he found that Khan was concentrating on studying the charred scapula of the sheep.If they were intact, Khan believed that he could plan and launch a war that was sure to win.If he sees the smallest crack, he will hold his ground.Traditional warlocks, or wizards, were very powerful in the imperial court, and monks could not win over any member of the royal family."We believe that there is only one God", Mongkohan said to William Xiushang, "but as God gives us different fingers, he also gives humans different methods. God gives you the Bible, and you Christians should not violate it... God gives us diviners, and we will do as they say, and live in harmony." Similarly,It is also impossible to form an anti Islamic alliance, because the Mongols need others to yield to them rather than cooperate with them."Without exception," Mongo Khan said, "all of you must serve us and be loyal to us... What we tell you is the commandment of God." However, the mission successfully provided the West with first-hand reliable information about the formation, habits and military tactics of this new barbarian.
Friar William has just returned to the West, and the hope of establishing the Christian Mongolian Victory Alliance and ending the threat of Islam forever reappears.Genghis Khan's grandsonhulagu The great victory that has been achieved has fuelled this hope.Hulagu is a Buddhist and his wife is a Christian.With the help of Christian soldiers from Armenia and the Kingdom of Georgia, Hulagu occupied and ransacked Baghdad, the capital of the caliph, from 1258 to 1260, and then occupied all areas from Syria to the Mediterranean coast.People hoped with confidence that he would take Egypt and North Africa lightly, and then, together with the Catholic countries, conquer Spain, and finally exterminate the hateful Islam from the earth.
But it backfired. In 1260, the MongolsPalestineA YinZarutIn the decisive battle, EgyptMamlukThe army was defeated.The retreat of the Mongols saved Egypt and the Islamic world.This failure obviously left a deep impression on the superstitious Mongols, making them believe that Allah of Muslims has greater power, thus urging them to convert to Islam.As a result, instead of eliminating Islam, the Mongols in the Middle East and Central Asia eventually converted to Islam, and the Mongols in the east converted to Buddhism (see Chapter 14, Section 4 for details of these campaigns).
In the West, there is still hope for a great and mysterious China;As we all know, China does not believe in Islam.Neither Carpini nor Luberuk has ever been to China, but they have heard that it only takes 20 days to reach China from Hala and Lin, and this is an extremely rich country.In 1264, when Kublai Khan moved his capital to Dadu (also known as Hanbali, the "City of Great Khan", now Beijing), Europeans first entered China.Two Venetian merchants first came to China: Nicola Polo and Mafio Polo.Kublai Khan gave them a warm welcome, asked them about Europe and asked them to send a message to the Pope.In these letters, Kublai Khan requested that 100 missionaries be sent to his court to preach to his people and debate with representatives of other religions.
As far as this request is concerned, it is unbelievable that Kublai Khan was inspired by the enthusiasm of Christianity.He probably wants to recruit talents for his bureaucracy, because he has just conquered China, and he dare not risk employing too many Chinese in the upper hierarchy.In fact, he did employ a large number of foreigners.In order to maintain his power, he paid great attention to maintaining the balance of power among all parts of the people.Regardless of Kublai Khan's motive for requesting the sending of priests, only two people were sent to the Rome classroomDuoming, I willSince the road was turbulent, they only arrived in Asia Minor and returned.
1259, PopeNikolaiFourth generation sent John Mondegovino to the Mongolian court;He is an experienced missionary who has worked in Muslim countries along the eastern coast of the Mediterranean for 14 years.Friar John traveled by sea from the Persian Gulf to India, across the Strait of Malacca, to Kanfu (Guangzhou), and then by land from Guangzhou to Dadu (Beijing).He was allowed to stay in the capital to preach. As a result, six years after he arrived in Dadu in 1292, he built a church with a bell tower and had a choir of 150 boys who sang Gregorian hymns that the emperor loved very much.When the Pope learned of this success, he sent some missionaries to make John Xiutianeng engage in another missionary activity in Kanfu.By the time the monk died in 1328, thousands of converts had been won in China.
This progress was mainly due to the positive attitude of the Mongolian rulers.They considered carefully and encouraged all foreign religions, whether Islam, Buddhism or Christianity, to compete with Confucianism, the dominant religion in China.As a result, Christian missionaries received large subsidies from the emperor's treasury, and thus established a monastery with a "high church earth room".However, the unexpected gathering of foreign believers in China is only temporary, because it is completely dependent on the support of Khan.However, as Marco Polo said: "All Chinese people hate the rule of Khan, because... he gave all power to Tatars, Saracens or Christians. These people are Chinese foreigners who depend on his royal family and serve him." Therefore, in 1368, when the Mongols were driven out of China, all foreigners under their protection were,He was also expelled together, including the Catholic Mission.In the 16th century, da Gama's voyage opened up a direct connection between the two ends of EurasiaMaritime route, paving the way for the arrival of the Jesuit Church. Until then, Catholicism had a foothold in China.
Technology dissemination
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The Muslim Empire and the Mongolian Empire not only affected the trade exchanges between Eurasia, but also affected the spread of technology. The dhow is an obvious example.This is a tall, triangular sailing boat, which has always been used by Arabs.But in the Mediterranean, the EgyptiansPhoeniciansThe Greeks and Romans used a kind of horizontal sail sailing boat;This kind of sailboat is easier to sail in bad weather.However, Arabian sailboats are more agile in handling, can sail against the wind, and can seize the wind and change course in rivers and narrow waters.Because of this, it soon took the place of sailing ships in the eastern Mediterranean.By the 11th century, it had become an official means of transport, covering the Mediterranean Sea.Although this triangular sailboat was introduced into the Mediterranean by Arabs with the invasion of Muslims, it is today called a "Latin" or "triangular" sailboat. Later, this kind of sailboat spread from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic.In the 15th century, Portuguese and Spanish ship designers combined the fore mast of a sailing ship with the main mast and back mast of a dhow to create a three masted ship that can sail in any weather;It made possible the ocean voyage of Columbus and Da Gama.
The Muslim Empire spans North Africa, the Middle East and South Asia, and keeps in touch with various regions of the Eurasian continent, thus facilitating and coordinating the exchange of knowledge, technology and goods.The following statement by an Arab doctor and scientist who lived in Baghdad from 850 to 925 can be used as an example of this mutual exchange.It tells people how the Chinese learned about Galen from Muslims;Galen (AD 130-200) was a famous doctor in Greece. Many of his works were translated into Arabic.
"A Chinese scholar came to my home and lived in the town for about a year. Within five months, he learned to speak and write in Arabic, and indeed reached the level of fluency and proficiency in calligraphy. Later, he decided to return home. About a month before leaving, he said to me, 'I'm going.Before leaving, I would be very happy if anyone would dictate Galen's 16 works and let me write them down. 'I told him that he didn't have enough time. At best, he could only take a small part of the record.But he said: 'I beg you to use all your time to dictate for me as quickly as possible before I leave.As you will see, I record faster than you dictate. 'So I dictated Galen's works with a student as fast as possible, but he remembered them faster.We don't believe that he remembered everything correctly. After checking, we found it was completely correct.When I asked him why he could remember so quickly, he said: 'In our country, there is a writing method called shorthand, which is what you see.When we want to write down something quickly, we can use this writing method. After that, we can sort it into the original text at will. 'But he also said that it would take at least 20 years for a smart person who is quick to learn to master shorthand. "
This narrative describes a unique situation, because in the Middle Ages, the Chinese people were usually donors rather than recipients in the exchanges between Asia and Europe.Indeed, the opposite was true earlier.In ancient and classical times, the wheels, wheels and pulleys in Mesopotamia, and the handle and crank in Egypt;The windmill in Persia andAsia MinorIron making, etc., spread in all directions from their respective origins.However, in the 14th century after A.D., China was a great center of technological innovation and spread many inventions to Eurasia and other regions.
We should pay attention to the power, efficacy and results of these inventions.People will see that these inventions are far less remarkable than the three great inventions;The ancients did not know these three inventions, but their origins are still obscure and unknown. They are:Typography、gunpowderandmagnet。Because these three great inventions, first in literature, second in war, and third in navigation, have changed the face and state of many things in the whole world, and have caused countless changes, so that it seems that no empire, no faction, no planet can have greater power and influence on human affairs than these technological inventions.
Hand spinning machine (a kind of uniform twisting spindle wing on spinning wheel appeared in the 11th century, and water power was applied to spinning machine in the 14th century)
Single wheel trolley
Maritime transport
Car mill
Effective harness for farm animals;Chest strap (left horse driver)
yoke
Stone bow (single arm)
kite
Helicopter propeller (rotating with rope)
Movable comic roll (rotating by rising hot air flow)
Deep drilling method
cast iron
Cardan suspension
Flat circular arch bridge
chain bridge
Canal lock gate
Nautical cartography
Technology and Inventions Introduced into China from the West
screw
Liquid pressure pump
crankshaft
Clockwork
Bacon correctly evaluated the historical significance of the three great inventions, which all originated in China.Block printing is a kind of printing that carves each page of the book to be printed on each board.The earliest existing block printed works are Chinese Buddhist scriptures printed in 868.Movable type printing was also the first invention of the Chinese people. It was successfully trial produced by an ordinary artist;Between 1041 and 1049, the ordinary artist made movable type made of clay.In the following centuries, the Chinese replaced the clay type with wood and various metal type.These inventions spread from China to the Middle East, and then from the Middle East to Europe.In Europe, the first block printing was used in 1423, and the first book was printed in movable type in 1456《Gutenberg Bible 》。
As early as the Tang Dynasty (618-906), China used gunpowder to make fireworks.In 1120, the Chinese invented a kind of weapon, namely the "sudden fire gun", which was made by filling a thick bamboo tube with gunpowder.This is almost the predecessor of the metal tube gun.The metal tube gun appeared in about 1280, but it is unknown whether it was first invented by the Chinese, or by Arabs or Europeans.
About 240 BC, a Chinese book first explicitly mentioned magnets.But in the following centuries, the compass was only used for the sorcery activities of earth diviners.In 1125, the compass began to be used for navigation. It was apparently Arab businessmen who came to China to learn how to use this instrument.And introduced it to Europe.
In addition to these three great inventions, the Chinese people have passed on a lot to their neighbors in Eurasia.In 105, the Chinese invented papermaking, which provided a prerequisite for the invention of printing.In 751, the Chinese prisoners of war who were taken to Samarkand passed on papermaking to the Arabs;The Arabs introduced it to Syria, Egypt and Morocco.In 1150, papermaking technology was introduced into Spain, and then spread to France and other European countries from there;Parchment was replaced wherever it went.Facts have proved that its value is very significant: in the past, a book was made of parchment《Bible》, at least 300 sheepskins are required.
Other Chinese inventions that spread throughout Asia and Europe and had far-reaching influence were the stern rudder, stirrup, chest harness, etc.The stern rudder was introduced into Europe with the compass around 1180;The stirrups enabled the feudal knights in medieval Europe to wear heavy armor;The chest strap harness is different from the neck ring harness in the past. It is put on the horse so that the horse can pull things with all its strength without being strangled.Finally, the Chinese cultivated many fruits and plants;They are usually spread across Eurasia by Arabs.These fruits and plants include chrysanthemum, camellia, azalea, tea roses, chamomile, lemon, orange, etc;Orange is still called "Chinese apple" in Holland and Germany
Finally, it should be pointed out that the spread of these and other inventions is obviously related to political events.Therefore, it is believed that the widespread spread of the 12th century guidebook Xu, stern rudder, papermaking and windmill can be attributed tocrusade。Similarly, peace under Mongolian rule also promoted the spread of gunpowder, silk manufacturing, printing and ironmaking blast furnaces in the 14th century.
Eurasian Land Bridge
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Geographical center
Location: 87 ° 19 ′ 52 ″ E, 43 ° 40 ′ 37 ″ N, 30 km southwest of UrumqiYongfeng TownshipBaojiacaozi Village.
Introduction: This center was determined by several scholars from the Xinjiang Branch of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1992. It further clarified that Urumqi is the world's farthest city from the sea.
Asian Geographic Center
There are only 30 households in Baojiacaozi Village. Looking around from here, there are Bogda Mountain in the east, Tianshan Mountain in the south, Toutun River in the west andJunggar BasinThe feeling of standing at the heart of Asia is very heroic.
Traditional Eurasian Continental Bridge
The First Eurasian Continental BridgeIt's from RussiaVladivostokSiberian land bridge leading to European countries and finally to Rotterdam Port in the Netherlands;The whole Continental Bridge passes through 7 countries including Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Poland, Germany and the Netherlands, with a total length of about 13000 kilometers.Not through China (bypassing China's Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces).
Eurasia Bridge
It's from Lianyungang, China to the NetherlandsRotterdamThe railway intermodal line.It starts from Lianyungang in Jiangsu Province and Shandong Province in the eastRizhao City, passing through 11 provinces and districts in Jiangsu, Shandong, Henan, Anhui, Shaanxi, Gansu, Shanxi, Sichuan, Ningxia, Qinghai and Xinjiang, and more than 570 counties and cities in 89 regions, cities and prefectures to the Sino Soviet borderAlataw PassExit the country.After going abroad, you can reach Rotterdam Port in the Netherlands via three routes.The middle line connects with the Soviet railway friendship station, enters the Soviet railway network, and passes through AkdouyaCherinograd、Gubishev、SmolenskBrestWarsaw、BerlinThe Port of Rotterdam, which reaches the Netherlands, is 10900 kilometers long and radiates more than 30 countries and regions around the world.Compared with the northern line of the Continental Bridge, it reduces the journey by 3000 kilometers, saves 20% of the cost of sea travel, and reduces the time by half.The north line passes through Akdouya, Cherinograd, to Bilobavlovskana, and thenMoscow, Brest, Warsaw and Berlin arrive at Rotterdam Port.The south line passes through Aresi, IletskBryanskAnd then through Brest, Warsaw and Berlin to Rotterdam Port.It can also be diverted from Aresi, through Iran'sMashhadreachteheran or tehran, you can also branch from Bryansk to ChopHungaryOfBudapest。Asia EuropeContinental bridgeThe total length of the Chinese section is 4213 km, consisting ofLianyungang-Lanzhou Railway andLanzhou Xinjiang Railwayform.
With the Eurasian Continental Bridge as the link, it connects China with the Commonwealth of Independent States, IranRomania, YugoslaviaBulgaria, HungaryCzech Republic、Slovakia, Poland, GermanyAustria、Belgium, FranceSwitzerland, Italy and Britain are closely linked.It plays an important role in the coordinated development of the Pacific Rim Economic Circle, and also brings China closer to the world market.It has shortened the original land transport corridor of Asia and Europe by 2000 kilometers.Than bypass the Indian Ocean andSuez CanalThe water transportation distance has been shortened by 10000 kilometers.
international relation
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1、 The international community pays attention to modernitythe Silk RoadJian.In 1984, the United Nations put forward the idea of reopening the modern Silk Road;In 1987,UNESCOExperts from various countries were organized to conduct a comprehensive survey of the modern Silk Road in three routes: grassland, desert and sea;After the operation of the modern Silk Road - New Eurasian Continental Bridge, in 1994《China’s Agenda 21 》The Sustainable Development of the Belt Along the Eurasian Continental Bridge in the 21st Century, the first batch of preferred projects, was listed as an international cooperative development project by the United Nations.With the emergence of the new Eurasian continental bridge and the development and opening of China's road and bridge belt, there has been a "road and bridge craze" in the worldASEAN, Central Asia, West AsiaCaucasus, the European Union and Russia have successively put forward the idea and plan of revitalizing the modern Silk Road, and actively carried out their work.In addition, ShanghaiEconomic Cooperation Organization、International Union of RailwaysEuropean Union and other international organizations are also optimistic about Asia and Europecontinental-bridge transportationAnd the economic development of the region, recognizing that the New Eurasian Continental Bridge has incomparable political, economic and geographical advantages, and has great development potential and prospects.
2、 The Chinese government attaches great importance to the development of the New Eurasian Continental Bridge.Premier Wen Jiabao of the State Council made a special trip to Lianyungang, the bridgehead of the new Eurasian continent, to pay tribute and inspect, put the development of Lianyungang on the national strategic level, and asked Lianyungang to do a good job in planning, accelerate development, and become a driving forceNorthern JiangsuThe development leader plays a role in promoting the coordinated development of the central and western regions.Jiangsusecretary of the provincial Party committeeLi YuanchaoLianyungang is required to "firmly grasp the construction of 100 million tons"DagangEnsure that the container traffic volume exceeds the goal of 3 million TEU, grasp the important node of port development and construction, and draw a new history of port development.In port construction, we should set a higher development goal, broaden our vision, broaden our thinking and broaden our mind, aim at first-class ports at home and abroad, open up port construction and use, and strive to make the port bigger, better and more beautiful. "The Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People's Government will spare no effort to accelerate the development of Lianyungang and build Lianyungang into a "growth pole" for revitalizing northern Jiangsu.Minister of CommunicationsLi ShenglinWhen he came to Lianyungang, he pointed out that "to implement the spirit of Premier Wen Jiabao's inspection instruction in Lianyungang, the Ministry of Communications will work together with Jiangsu Province to determine a port development plan to give full play to Lianyungang's advantages as soon as possible." Under the promotion of the Jiangsu Provincial Government,Lianyungang City The agreement of "jointly building and sharing Lianyungang" was signed with four cities in northern Jiangsu and some cities along the bridge to give full play to Lianyungang's role as the most convenient sea port in northern Jiangsu and the central and western regions.In October 2007, during the 17th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Hu Jintao listened to the Secretary of Lianyungang Municipal Party CommitteeWang JianhuaComrades' comments on "Lianyungang will be combined with Xuzhou and Zhengzhou as a comprehensive supporting reform experimental area, Lianyungang will be established as a scientific development demonstration area, and China, Japan and South Korea will be established in Lianyungangfree trade area”Suggestions for development.
3、 The transportation infrastructure of the New Eurasian Continental Bridge is becoming more and more perfect.The 4131 kilometers in our country have been successively double tracked, electrified and internally combusted, and the parallel and supporting Lianyungang Huozhou Expressway and high-grade highway have also been completed and opened to traffic.Beijing Kowloon Railway in Central China and Western ChinaNanjiang Railway The Xinchang Railway in the east has been completed, so that there are 13 main arteries and branch lines crossing or connecting the land bridge. When the coastal railway and the "Tongsan" highway are completed, the railway and highway network with land bridge as the main axis in the east and middle can be basically formed, and the land bridge transportation will achieve unimpeded transportation.On November 26, 2006, the Ministry of Railways basically launched the "new product" of transportation, namely Lianyungang Alataw Pass, on the basis of the original "five fixed" trainSea land combined transportThe direct express train has shortened the actual running time of the 4131km section of the New Eurasian Continental Bridge in China from 5.13 days to 4.58 days again.On October 9, 2007, the Ministry of Railways also opened the transit container transport train from Lianyungang to Moscow, Russia, making the direct transportation of transit containers of the New Eurasian Continental Bridge extend from Central Asia to Europe for the first time. The train can load 96 international standard containers, and the destination can be reached after 25 days of transportation along the New Eurasian Continental Bridge.Ministry of Information IndustryResponsible for working with relevant departments to study and formulate the Plan on Accelerating National and Regional ModernizationLogistics public information platformGuiding Opinions on the Construction of the New Eurasian Continental Bridge, putting forward the idea and idea of building a regional modern logistics public information platform.Taking the development of logistics informatization of Xinyao Europe Continental Bridge as an opportunity, it will have a positive and far-reaching impact on the economic and social development of the Continental Bridge area, the western development and the coordinated economic development of China's east and west.
4、 The pace of building the international corridor along the domestic section of the new Eurasian Continental Bridge has been accelerated.The accelerated development and opening of the "Iron and Steel International Corridor", which runs through the east, middle and west of China and is open from east to west, will make it a new growth belt of China's economy, and will accelerate to become China's international, open transportation, economic corridor and freight forwarding logistics channel.For this reason, relevant national departments are studying specific measures to accelerate the domestic section along the bridge: implement the opening policy of coastal areas along the bridge, and continue to set up various development zones and bonded zones as needed;Pilot resource-based development zones;In accordance with the requirements of high starting point and international integration, establish new enterprises of resources and resource processing;Promote industrialization and urbanization of areas along the line;Utilize foreign capital to pilot western Chinacooperation in agricultureDevelopment zone, logistics circle, and building an Asian European agricultural products wholesale trading center;According to the transportation hub, resource status, geographical location, and relying on the central city, several economic development zones will be established in the area along the bridge, such as the international economic and trade cooperation zone with Lianyungang as the center, and the international economic and trade cooperation zone with Xuzhou as the centerHuaihai Economic Zone, Zhengzhou centeredCentral Plains Economic ZoneGuanzhong Economic Zone with Xi'an as the center and Lanzhou as the centerNorthwest Economic Zone, the western economic zone with Urumqi as the center, and build Urumqi into an international financial, commercial, industrial and agricultural economic center in western China, promoting the development and prosperity of markets in western China and Central Asia.
5、 At present, we should focus on and do a good job in:
1. Conscientiously implement the spirit of Premier Wen's instructions, earnestly strengthen the research plan at the national strategic level, improve the status and function of the "New Eurasian Continental Bridge Coordination Mechanism of the State Council", and make it play a more direct and effective role in management coordination and promoting the regional economic development of the New Eurasian Continental Bridge.
2. Actively advocate building and sharing east and west bridgeheads to promote common development of regional economy.In accordance with the spirit of the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, we should adjust our working ideas, develop in a scientific and harmonious way, and encourage all walks of life along the bridge to jointly build and share Lianyungang andXinjiang PortTo improve the function of east and west bridgeheads in China, and promote the complementary economic advantages and common development of regions along the bridge.
3. Strive to establish a free trade zone in Lianyungang to promote the gathering of goods.Learn from the experience of China and Kazakhstan inHorgosThe establishment of the "International Border Cooperation Center" to develop border trade and the establishment of the East Bridgehead Free Trade Zone at Lianyungang Port in cooperation with Japan and South Korea will promote the economic prosperity and cargo accumulation of Lianyungang Port and lay a more solid foundation for the sustainable and stable development of the Continental Bridge.
4. Promote the resource integration of large freight forwarding logistics enterprises to become stronger and larger, and build a first-class integrated logistics platform.Speed up the capacity integration of large freight forwarding logistics enterprises and build a completeinternational multimodal transportSupply chain, to form a low-cost, high-quality Continental Bridge integrated logistics platform preferred by domestic and foreign customers.
At 12:12 on September 12, 1990, this was a moment that was closely watched by the domestic and foreign economic circles and the public opinion circles at home and abroad. When two vice ministers of the railway transportation departments of China and Kazakhstan simultaneously tightened the last bolt of their respective railways and happily gave each other a wrench, a new Eurasian continental bridge connecting the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean was completed.
This land bridge starts from Lianyungang, Rizhao and other coastal port cities in China in the east, goes out of Xinjiang in the west, passes through Kazakhstan and other Central Asian regions, and passes through European ports such as Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Poland and Germany, with a total distance of about 11000 kilometers.Because it is the second land bridge connecting Asia and Europe after the Siberian Land Bridge, it is called the "New Eurasian Land Bridge".
Compared with the former Siberian continental bridge, the new Eurasian continental bridge has obvious advantages.
1. Superior geographical location and climatic conditions: the whole continental bridge avoids the cold regions, and the port has no freezing period. With good natural conditions and large throughput capacity, it can operate all year round.
2. Short transportation distance: The new Eurasian Land Bridge will shorten the land transportation distance by 2000~5000 kilometers compared with the Siberian Land Bridge. It has more prominent advantages to Central and West Asian countries.The transportation distance of goods from the Far East to Western Europe via the New Eurasian Continental Bridge is 15000 kilometers shorter than the sea transportation line around the Cape of Good Hope, 8000 kilometers shorter than that via the Suez Canal, 11000 kilometers shorter than that via the Panama Canal, and 9100 kilometers shorter than that via the North American Continental Bridge.
3. Wide coverage: The new Eurasian Continental Bridge radiates more than 30 countries and regions in the Eurasian continent, with a total area of 50.71 million square kilometers, and the resident population accounts for about 75% of the world's total population.
4. Great attraction to the Asia Pacific region: besides China (mainland), Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asian countries, some Oceania countries and Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao regions of China can use this route to develop the new Eurasian Land Bridgecontainer transport。Therefore, the inherent advantages of the New Eurasian Continental Bridge determine that it will be operated and developed along the whole line, and become the leading transport line connecting the Asia Pacific region and Europe.
The smoothness of the new Eurasian Continental Bridge is conducive to promoting economic and trade cooperation among countries along the bridge, and the development and prosperity of Asia Europe economy.It is of great practical significance to the formation of the economic corridor between Asia and Europe and to the creation of a new pattern of the world economy.
The connection of the New Eurasian Continental Bridge is conducive to promoting the balanced and coordinated development of the regional economy along the bridge, and is of great strategic significance in promoting the development and opening up of the region along the bridge, accelerating the process of industrialization and urbanization, and improving the comprehensive national strength of all countries.
The development of the New Eurasian Continental Bridge is conducive to opening up the Central Asian market and plays an important role in expanding China's foreign economic and trade cooperation.
The opening and development of the New Eurasian Continental Bridge is conducive to improving the international status of China's mainland coastal port system.It will fundamentally free our ports from geographical constraints, optimize the location of coastal ports, and create favorable conditions for their international trade and transportation.
With the rapid rise of the Asia Pacific economy and the eastward shift of the focus of world trade, the strategic significance of the New Eurasian Continental Bridge is becoming increasingly important.The Continental Bridge is not only a transportation channel, but also the axis of regional economic development.The people of the economic belt along the bridge are working together to implement the development and opening up strategy along the new Eurasian Continental Bridge as soon as possible. We firmly believe that, through cross century efforts, the new Eurasian Continental Bridge will become a golden corridor for international economy and trade, and reproduce the glory of the ancient Silk Road!
