The starting point of the overland Silk Road is Chang'an (today's Xi'an), the capital of the Tang Dynasty. Starting from Chang'an, the Silk Road runs westward through Gansu, Xinjiang, Central Asia, Iran, and finally reaches the Roman Empire on the Mediterranean coast. As the starting point of the Silk Road, Chang'an is not only China's political, economic and cultural center, but also one of the most important transportation hubs on the Silk Road. In Chang'an, merchants can buy all kinds of goods, including silk, tea, bronze, porcelain, medicinal materials, etc., and then ship these goods to the West. Chang'an is also an important cultural center, attracting many foreigners to study and exchange here. The prosperity and development of Chang'an has provided a solid foundation for trade and cultural exchanges along the Silk Road.
