China’s Ethnic Minorities/中国少数民族(精)

ThehonelandsoftheminoritypeoplesaremostlyborderareasofChina,andthereforetheseregionsserveasalinkbetweenChinaandothercountries.TheXinjiangUygurAutonomousRegion,ingabitedbymorethan20nationalitiesatpresent,wascalledtheWesternRegionsinancienttimes,andwasabridgefacilitatingcommunicationbetweentheeasternandwesterncivilizations.The"SilkRoad"fromXi'aninShaanxiProvinceattheeasternendtoCentralAsia,theBlackSea,theMediterraneanSeaandasfarasRomeatthefarthestwestermend,ranthroughtheGansuCorridoralongtworoadslyingtothesouthandnorth,repectively,oftheTarimBasin,southoftheTianshanMoutanins,andthencutacrossConglingRidge.Infact,therewasamucholder"SilkRoad"runningfromSichuanProvincetoMyanmarandlndiaviaYunnanProvince,largelyinhabitedbyethnicinhorities.lnancienttimes,thisancientroadwasnotonlyonelinkingsouthernChinawithotherpartsoftheworld,butalsoacorridorforethnicgroupstotravelsouthornorth.Thesetwochannelsallowedthescientificknowledge,music,art,westernChristianity,lslamfromWesternAsiaandBuddhismfromlndiatograduallyspreadintotheCentralPlains.Atthesametime,China'straditionalcultureandscienceandtechnology,andevensomehandicraftssuchassilk,porcelain,teaandjadeware,werecarrietocountriesinSoutheastAsiaandtheWest.