Xi’an, in northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, stands as a powerful symbol of early cultural exchange between China and the wider world. Known as Chang’an in ancient times, the city was the eastern starting point of the Silk Road and served as the capital of several great dynasties, including the Western Han and the Tang, for more than a millennium.

Just beyond today’s Xi’an Railway Station lie the grand ruins of the Danfeng Gate at the Daming Palace, once the ceremonial entrance to the Tang empire. More than 1,300 years ago, envoys and traders from across Eurasia passed through this gate, bringing ideas, beliefs and artistry from distant lands.

These exchanges reached far beyond China. At Istanbul’s Topkapi Palace Museum, thousands of Chinese artworks and porcelain pieces bear witness to journeys that began in Chang’an and coastal Quanzhou. Together, they tell a rich story of civilisations connected through trade, curiosity and shared cultural heritage.

Source: China Central Television