Silk Road: ‘The symbol of shared culture’

The recent increase in cultural exchanges and people-to-people contacts between China and Afghanistan has expanded the room for mutual understanding, and the Afghan nation views China as a peaceful state which seeks peace and prosperity in the entire region.

Only a decade ago, Afghan people had little understanding about China and its cultural and historical monuments, social values, and political system. However, their level of understanding has risen with the surge of exchanges between people of both nations, especially in terms of culture and media.

Delivering a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the third Silk Road (Dunhuang) International Cultural Expo on Thursday in Gansu province, a sister to the Afghan province of Bamyan, Afghanistan's second vice-president Sarwar Danesh reiterated the importance of cultural exchanges between China and Afghanistan and said Gansu and Bamyan were two sister cities, two cultural and historical sisters, and “the symbol of shared culture and history between Afghanistan and China”. Danesh emphasized the importance of the Belt and Road Initiative when he said, “The Silk Road in the UNESCO plan has been termed the ‘Road of Dialogue’ in order to facilitate dialogue between Western and Eastern countries and currently China has decided to revive it. This time people will not travel by horses, camels or on foot, but by automobiles, railways and ships.”

He also stressed the reconstruction of the Wakhan Corridor, and called it “a significant gateway on the Silk Road” and “crucial for the economic and commercial growth of Afghanistan and the region”.

Danesh said Sino-Afghan political and economic relations date back 2,000 years -- when Chinese pilgrims, business caravans and goods passed through Afghanistan -- while official relations in modern times started in 1949. Then Chinese primer Zhou Enlai traveled to Kabul with a high-ranking delegation in 1957 and enjoyed a warm reception by Afghanistan’s then King Zahir Shah and then prime minister Dawood Khan.

He called on Chinese historians, artists and tourists to visit Bamyan city and view the landscape of the Silk Route from Gansu to Bamyan.

The third Silk Road cultural expo hosted by China will promote the spirit of the Silk Road -- especially peace, cooperation, openness, inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit – and boost cultural exchanges among participating countries. Furthermore, officials from around the world can enjoy fruitful dialogues at the event to support mutual cooperation and multilateralism, strengthen the spirit of brotherhood, and take more practical steps in building “a community with shared future for mankind”, as proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013.

Mutual understanding and cultural exchanges among nations will lead to a stable region and a civil, peaceful and prosperous society. These exchanges can take place through the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, known as the Belt and Road Initiative. The Silk Road is called the “Route of Dialogue” because business, culture, religions and philosophies flowed to Eurasia through this route in ancient times. For example, Buddhism spread through the Silk Road and entered China at the end of the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD) with Buddhist art and shrines found in Gansu province, including the Mogao Caves, home to some of the biggest and most complete ancient works of Buddhism in the world.

Briefing media delegates, including journalists from Asia, Oceania and Latin America, about Buddhist arts in Mogao Caves, our tour guide also mentioned of Maiji Mountain and shared how the mountain had 194 caves and more than 7,000 statues and wall paintings. It was a reminder of how the Silk Road serves as a symbol of cultural exchanges and commercial trade. Revitalizing this road under the BRI will pave the way for further exchanges in terms of economy, culture and scientific innovation.

To revive the spirit of the ancient Silk Road, enhance exchanges, and promote trade and transit, the world will have to take concrete steps and play their roles constructively in the BRI. The ancient Silk Road proved to be highly productive for our ancestors and the BRI will surely play the same role in modern times.

As one of China’s historical neighbors, Afghanistan, which signed a memorandum of understanding with China in 2016, is seeking to play a role, based on its abilities and capabilities, in supporting the BRI and aligning its economic and cultural activities to this framework.

The author is an Afghan journalist and freelance writer based in Beijing.

The opinions expressed here are those of the writer and do not represent the views of China Daily and China Daily website.