Silk Road: News, Events, Articles

On the verge of the 21st century China, where the Great Silk Road had originated two thousand years ago, took drastic measures aimed at revival of the ancient longest highway of the world. The country has actively joined in realization of international projects and implements unprecedented plans of road construction works on its territory. According to the preliminary outline by the middle of the current century the length of these roads will have doubled and have reached the figure of four million kilometres. Moreover, it is expected that the quality of transportation operations will attain the European standards.

In the 21st century Lyunyungan - Alanshankou railroad has become the main trunk-railway of China. It crosses the territory of the country from East to West and spreads to a length of 4100 kilometres. This trunk-railway links the Pacific coastline with the railway network of Kazakhstan, and via the railway communications of Russia it enables to reach Rotterdam - the Dutch port on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. The total length of the transcontinental route between two oceans is 10,800 kilometres.

China has got rich experience in building highways. Through Khotgos frontier there runs the reconstructed highway which links the inland provinces of China with the countries of Central Asia and further with Europe. At the same time this arterial road is a part of the northern corridor of Asian highway which is being developed. The corridor will link North-Eastern Asia with Central Asia, the Caucasus and Europe.

The Asian highway project was initiated in 1959 in order to include the vast areas of this part of the world into the network of international transport communications. UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific region together with creators of Asian highway project have elaborated the scheme of new road network to cross the territory of 28 countries participating in the project. By the beginning of the 21st century the length of the roads included into the road network had totalled 130 kilometres, whereas the number of countries that joined the project had reached the figure of 31. Among them we can name Azerbaijan, Armenia, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Vietnam, Georgia, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, India, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Singapore, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Sri Lanka.

Within the framework of the Chinese project, in many sections the autobahn is to run in parallel to Trans-Asian trunk-railway. The high-class autobahn, which is 4400 kilometres long, will traverse 10 provinces and will reach the coastline of the Yellow Sea coming up at Lyanyungan port.

The air corridors of many airlines pass over the territory of China. In order to improve the maintenance of facilities and to ensure high-quality services to the passengers, the reconstruction of airports is being done, which to a certain extent will provide for the further development of tourism in this country. With that end in view there is being carried out intensive construction of mono-railed roads, which are to embrace the whole country. Today China holds sixth place in the world in terms of inbound tourist volumes. Recently there has been worked out a 20-year plan of the country's tourist industry development. It is expected that within this period of time the profit from tourism will account for eight percent of China's gross domestic product.

In accordance with UNESCO and WTO forecasts, by the year of 2020 every third tourist on our planet will make a tour along the Great Silk Road. And, of course, one of the most alluring sections of the ancient arterial road is China.

In the history of China the Great Silk Road played a very important role and contributed much to the development of the country. The revival of this great ancient highway becomes no less important.

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