“Historians and literary scholars have failed to transform the difficult ancient history books into modern languages, and the stereotyped narratives of the so-called academics into interesting popular speech. Now, Mr. Chen Sun-Shen, a giant hand in the cultural world, has taken up this important task, and his series of historical stories have made the spots of history come alive!”
--Bo Yang, renowned historian and social critic

Chen Shunchen's existence is a miracle
-- Ryotaro Sima, famous Japanese historical novelist and author of “Miyamoto Musashi”

“There is probably no writer as accomplished as Chen Sun-Shin now, and there will never be another one in the future. 'There has been no one before, and there will be no one after,' and this is the reason why Chen Sun-Shin is Chen Sun-Shin.”
-- Koichiro Inabata, Professor Emeritus, Waseda University, Japan; Visiting Researcher, Center for the Study of Ancient Chinese Documents, Peking University

Consciously combining historical themes with detective techniques, it is both a historical novel and a detective novel, with two types of readability. I'm afraid there is no one in the Japanese novel industry who can surpass it. "
-- Li Changsheng, a Japanese writer and expert in the study of Japanese publishing cultural history

★A Work by Chen Shunchen, a best-selling historical author who is proficient in five languages and has millions of sales! He was considered as one of the “two best” in the field of historical fiction writing with Si Ma Ryotaro. His works have repeatedly sparked a craze for reading history in Japan.

★The globalization of the world begins here, interpreting the past and present of the Silk Road for you!
Spanning 7000 kilometers and more than 3000 years, this magnificent epic depicts the direction of world civilization, telling the story of thousands of years of cultural turbulence between the East and the West, and understanding the past and future of globalization. By understanding the history of the Western Regions, one can master the key to thousands of years of civilization in both the East and the West!

★ A popular reading book on the history of the Silk Road created by renowned historian, easy to read!
With his profound historical knowledge and rich cultural background, the author consciously combines historical themes with reasoning techniques in a story-telling manner, so that ordinary readers can easily understand the relevant history.

The "Chen Shunchen History Special Series" includes four books:
"The First Emperor Qin Shi Huang: Revelation of the Great Qin Empire"
"Opium War: Chen Shunchen On the History of the Late Qing Dynasty"
"Observing the Wind: Chen Shunchen On Chinese Culture and Spirit"
"Traveling West: 3000 Years in the East and West"

Why did Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty send Zhang Qian instead of someone else to the Western Regions?How did Ban Chao become so powerful on the frontier? Is the legendary Xiangfei (Fragrant Concubine ) a real person? What is the connection between Xuanzang and the Silk Road?...
This book depicts the past and present life of the Western Regions from the levels of political power struggle, economic intercommunication, and collision and fusion of cultural customs in an all-round and three-dimensional way. Rich in historical materials and written in simple language, it is an excellent popular reading material for understanding the history of the Western Regions and world globalization.

Chen Shunchen (1924-2015), a Chinese Japanese writer, is considered an unparalleled figure in the Japanese novel world. The first "Triple Crown Champion" in the history of Japanese literature, and was one of the “two best” in the field of historical fiction writing with Si Ma Ryotaro. He is proficient in five languages including Chinese, Japanese, English, Hindi, and Persian, and his works present a borderless macro perspective. The works involve history, reasoning, essays, etc., with a total sales volume of up to 20 million copies. His historical works are unique because of their deductive elements, and he has created a craze for reading Chinese history in Japan many times. His major works include "The Rise and Fall of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom", "The History of China", "The First Emperor Qin Shi Huang", "The Land Still Exist", and so on.

The first part: Jade-like Places
Embark on a Journey to the Western Regions/002
Border Town Kashgar and Silk Road/019
From Zhang Qian to Timur/034
Lunch at Pahatakri/061
Competition between East and West/080
Legend of Xiangfei/094
Born hospitable/119

Part 2: From Kashgar to Hotan
The Post-Tour/140
Crossing the Karakoram Mountains/156
Transit Stop Yecheng/170
The Ancient City of Hotan/185

Part Three: Collision and Integration of East and West
Kuche Myth/204
The Western Regions in the Smoke of War/226
Gaochang and Eminent Monks/246
In Search of a Lost Civilization/263
Kucha Memories/277

Afterword/293

To talk about the 'Brief History of Kashgar', we must first write the story of Zhang Qian's journey through the Western Regions as an envoy. Although Zhang Qian did not leave a name in the history of Kashgar, it is impossible to say that he did not pass through Kashgar based on his travel route. Kashgar, which uses open-air markets to trade goods from various places and lives a peaceful life by collecting transaction commissions, is destined to step onto the stage of history, and the arrival of Zhang Qian has opened up a new path for this place.
So, how did Zhang Qian come to the Western Regions? We may consider this for a moment. He naturally did not venture into the world on impulse, but accepted the imperial decree of Emperor Wu of Han. So why did Emperor Wu of Han send envoys to the Western Regions?
The problem faced by the Western Han Dynasty has always been the raids of the Xiongnu. With the unification of the Central Plains by the Qin Dynasty, the Xiongnu also rapidly rose in the north. While unifying the world, Emperor Qin Shi Huang also built the Great Wall for thousands of miles to resist the Xiongnu, whose power could be imagined.. For the Han Dynasty, which inherited the mantle of the Qin Dynasty, the issue of the Xiongnu was undoubtedly the primary concern. Due to the Chu-Han Contention with Xiang Yu, the Han dynasty had no spare capacity to eliminate the Xiongnu before the founding of the country. Furthermore, Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, was once besieged by the Xiongnu Chanyu in Baideng Mountain (now within the territory of Shanxi Province) and almost completely annihilated. At that time, Liu Bang was able to overcome the crisis and break out of the encirclement solely through the strategy of bribery - giving treasures and bribes to the wife of the Xiongnu Chanyu, the Han clan. And this has also become a shame in the glorious history of the Han Dynasty.
After Emperor Gaozu, the nearly forty years of rule by Emperor Wen and Emperor Jing were a period of recuperation for the Han Dynasty, during which its national strength was consolidated and enhanced. For Emperor Jing's successor, Emperor Wu of Han, resolving the long-standing threat from the Xiongnu would achieve his immortal achievements that will go down in history.
Of course, this was also a period when the Xiongnu were strong.Although the Han Dynasty was in full strength at this time, in order to defeat the Xiongnu, it still needed to seek powerful allies. So, will such an alliance emerge? Yes, it is the Yuezhi Kingdom. The Yueshi Kingdom was devastated by the Xiongnu and forced to flee westward due to their constant invasion. The former king of the Yuezhi was killed by the Xiongnu, and his skull was made into a wine cup. The Xiongnu Chanyu often used this wine cup to drink. How can one tolerate such a great shame and humiliation? The resentment of the Yuezhi towards the Xiongnu can be imagined, so there is a high possibility that they will become a reliable ally in the Han Dynasty's pincer attack on the Xiongnu.
"Forming an alliance with the Yue clan and jointly attacking the Xiongnu", Emperor Wu of Han pondered in his heart.
However, how can we establish contact with the fleeing Yue family? Why send envoys? Is anyone willing to take on this heavy responsibility? Despite many doubts, Emperor Wu of Han still began recruiting envoys.
The Yuezhi fled to the distant west, reportedly on the other side of the Tianshan Mountains. To seek their whereabouts, they had to pass through the territory of the Xiongnu. This is a danger for the envoy. Perhaps due to such concerns, there are very few people who respond to the call.
"If Your Majesty does not abandon lowliness, I am willing to go west and establish a good relationship with the Yuezhi-People."
The person who said these words is Zhang Qian. This young man, who was born in Hanzhong and was still a junior official at the time, had great ambitions and longed to make achievements. As the envoy of the Yue clan, the difficulties are self-evident, but once the alliance between the two countries is formed, it will make the first contribution to the resistance against the Xiongnu. Perhaps Zhang Qian volunteered with such a grand dream in mind!
Zhang Qian set out from Chang'an in the second year of Jianyuan (139 BC) and traveled westward. In addition to about a hundred followers, there was also a Xiongnu defector named Gan Fu serving as the guide for the mission. As soon as Zhang Qian and his companions crossed Longxi and entered the territory of the Xiongnu, they were captured by the Xiongnu and brought to Chanyu.
Why did you go to the Yue clan? "Shan Yu sneered." The Yue clan is in my north, would I allow you to go calmly? If my Xiongnu sent envoys to cross your Han territory, how could the Han court agree? I am arresting you here now, and your order is yours
The leader of the Xiongnu at that time was Dan Yu, the grandson of Modun Chanyu and a military officer. Zhang Qian lived in the Xiongnu for more than ten years, married a Xiongnu woman as his wife, and had children, appearing no different from the Xiongnu people. Later, the Xiongnu gradually relaxed their surveillance on him, and Zhang Qian seized the opportunity to flee westward.
As the military official Shan Yu said, the Yue clan was located to the north of the Xiongnu, or more accurately, to the northwest, equivalent to the present-day Ili region. However, they did not reside here for a long time. Perhaps due to friction with the powerful Wusun in Yili, they eventually migrated towards the southwest. If the Yue family were still in Yili at that time, Zhang Qian would not have passed through Kashgar.
The Xiongnu were a nomadic kingdom known as the "Xingguo". The Xiongnu lived alone in tents, known as Wangting, which constantly moved due to seasonal changes, so we cannot know the specific residence of Zhang Qian in the Xiongnu. However, judging from his arrival in Dawan after escaping for dozens of days, it can be imagined that he was in Gansu province at that time.
As mentioned earlier, traveling from Xiyu North Road to Dawan must pass through Kashgar. Zhang Qian traveled from Dawan to Kangju, and then passed through Kangju to reach Yueshi. At this time, the Yue clan had submitted to the Daxia Kingdom and lived stably on the fertile land extending from Bukhara to Samarkand on the north bank of the Amu Darya River. Perhaps they were worried about losing this peaceful land again, as they had already lost their desire to seek revenge against the Xiongnu. The Yue clan once lived in the Dunhuang area and belonged to a nomadic ethnic group. Compared to agricultural peoples, their homesickness may be weaker, so they did not want to return to their homeland of Dunhuang.
Zhang Qian once repeatedly persuaded the Yue family to establish an alliance with the Han dynasty, citing the threat of the Xiongnu. However, the Yue family never agreed, and the idea of forming an alliance ultimately went down the drain. Although he did not complete his initial mission, his trip to the Western Regions played a huge role in the Han Dynasty's understanding of the geographical conditions and local customs of the region. Later, Emperor Wu of Han implemented a more proactive policy towards the Western Regions based on his report.
Regarding Zhang Qian's return to the Han Dynasty, the records in the Records of the Grand Historian are still concise and to the point:

And Nanshan, wishing to return from the Qiang ethnic group.

As mentioned earlier, Nanshan is the Kunlun Mountains. That is to say, Zhang Qian wanted to depart from the southern route of the Western Regions to avoid the Xiongnu, and then return to the Han Dynasty through the Qiang region. However, at this time, the Qiang territory had already belonged to the Xiongnu, so he was unfortunately detained again. However, within just one year, the military minister Shan Yu passed away, and internal conflicts arose within the Xiongnu due to the succession of the Khan's throne. Zhang Qian seized this opportunity to escape from the tiger's mouth.
The military official Shan Yu died in the third year of Emperor Wu of Han's Yuanshuo era (126 BC), and his younger brother Yi Zhixie launched an attack on the Crown Prince Yu Dan. Later, Yu Dan was defeated and fled to the Han Dynasty. Zhang Qian may have escaped from the northern region with Yu Dan.
Zhang Qian departed from Chang'an and spent thirteen years before returning to the Han Dynasty, during which he has been missing any news. In the eyes of Emperor Wu of Han, Zhang Qian had long disappeared without a trace. Perhaps unable to wait for news of the Han Yue Alliance, Emperor Wu of Han simply ordered Wei Qing to send troops to conquer the Xiongnu. Wei Qing lived up to expectations and repelled the Xiongnu in three battles, allowing the Han Dynasty to control the Hetao (i.e. Ordos) region.
In the second year after Wei Qing defeated the Xiongnu, Zhang Qian finally returned to the capital Chang'an and informed Emperor Wu of Han, "The internal strife among the Xiongnu is fierce
Upon learning of this, Emperor Wu of Han's attitude towards the Xiongnu became increasingly firm. While sending troops to conquer the Xiongnu, he also intended to open up the Western Regions trade route.
Under the attack of two famous generals, Wei Qing and Huo Qubing, the Han Dynasty finally opened up the connection between the Central Plains and the Western Regions, allowing the Hexi area of Gansu to enjoy peace. Hexi is located in a narrow strip of land between the Qilian Mountains and deserts, and is named after its location west of the Yellow River. 'Corridor' means to connect like a corridor. Around 100 BC, the Han Dynasty successively established four commanderies in the Hexi Corridor. From then on, the connection between the Central Plains and the Western Regions became increasingly close. From east to west, the four counties in Hexi are Wuwei, Zhangye, Jiuquan, and Dunhuang. To the west of the four commanderies is Dunhuang, which was also a military base during Emperor Wu of Han's expedition to Dawan.
Zhang Qian's chiseling action opened up the road to the Western Regions. Afterwards, envoys from the Han Dynasty were sent to various parts of the country, with numbers ranging from dozens to hundreds, all aimed at friendly trade. During the year, there are sometimes five or six batches, and sometimes more than ten batches. These missions can return within a few years in the near future, but it may take ten years in the long run. The Records of the Grand Historian records:

Due to the increase in income, he arrived at Anxi, Yancai, Lixuan, Tiaozhi, and Shendu countries.

Anxi is Iran, Yancai is the northern part of the Aral Sea, Lixuan is the transliteration of "Alexandria", Tiaozhi is Syria, and the body poison is undoubtedly India. The above-mentioned countries are all places that require crossing the Pamir Plateau to reach. In addition, Han Dynasty delegations frequently passed through various regions along the northern and southern routes of the Western Regions near the Pamir Plateau. The mission will bring Central Plains goods, mainly silk, here in exchange for local items before returning to the mainland.
Emperor Wu of Han was fond of the famous horse of Dawan, namely the Sweat Blood BMW. It is said that when it gallops, sweat flows like blood, hence the name. In an era where even a fine horse could determine the victory or defeat of a war, Emperor Wu of Han's preference for horses was not only based on personal preference, but also reflected on the fate of the country.
In addition to famous horses, rare foreign objects such as Kunlun jade, glass, pomegranate, walnut, alfalfa, and coral were transported from the Hexi Corridor to the Central Plains. The corals among them are said to originate from the distant Mediterranean Sea.
All accompanying personnel participate voluntarily, but there are also some who wander around with dreams of overnight wealth.
Kashgar in the 1st century BC must have had frequent visits from Han Dynasty envoys. Whether traveling to Dawan, Iran, Syria, or Rome, one must cross the Pamir Plateau via Kashgar. To go to India, although there are southbound routes to choose from, it is not impossible to cross the Pamir Plateau from Kashgar and then pass through Afghanistan. Although there are some detours and detours, compared to the former which requires crossing mountains and valleys, the latter is indeed much easier.
Next, I will share my own speculation.
The delegation will depart from Chang'an to Syria or Rome, passing through the Hexi Corridor, crossing quicksand, and arriving in Kashgar via the southern or northern routes of the Western Regions. If the destination is Syria, then arriving in Kashgar is only considered half of the journey. If you want to reach Rome, then arriving in Kashgar means that the journey has barely passed one-third. Looking ahead, the members of the delegation couldn't help but feel melancholic. At this moment, they intended to turn back, but were worried about how to bring exotic products back to the court to restore their order.
By the will of heaven, the street markets and shops in Kashgar are filled with products from Syria and Rome, which can be purchased in large quantities. Here, the mission can buy Roman glassware and coral, why choose distance over proximity? And the silk brought from Chang'an can also save a lot of trouble when sold here.
However, missions are not only engaged in trade with foreign countries, they also undertake diplomatic missions, so when returning, they must present the diplomatic credentials of the host country. However, there is no need to worry about this matter, as Kashgar has personnel specialized in producing these documents. The mission can return to Chang'an and resume its mission with peace of mind as long as they wait nearby for a moment. This speculation may seem a bit like 'measuring a gentleman's belly with a petty heart', but when I found out that cars could only slowly pass through the crowded Kashgar market on weekends, I became more confident in my own speculation.
There is a description in the Biography of Dawan in the Records of the Grand Historian about some personnel in the Han Dynasty's diplomatic mission with poor physical appearance. In short, after all, they are going to a distant foreign land, so as long as the embassy personnel voluntarily apply, the court will appreciate their determination and naturally will not scrutinize their character in detail.
Those who speak louder will be punished, while those who speak louder will be punished.
'Jie' is evidence of accepting the imperial decree, and the recipient is usually the head of the diplomatic mission. Those who are good at making bold statements are usually awarded higher official positions, but in reality, they are only taking oral oaths and most of them will not put them into practice.
Therefore, those who speak without action all strive for effectiveness. Their envoys are all poor sons of man, and private county officials (referring to the court) have gifts (given items), hoping to lower the market for personal gain
There are many people who are perfunctory and evasive, and the trade market in Kashgar is just for their use.