resources

Resources on the Silk Road

Key:

* in Primary Source Library

Grade levels indicated for childrens books (ES-elementary school; MS-middle school)

General Resources for Educators

Art and History

Adshead, S.A.M. China in World History. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1988.

This is an intelligent but arcane study (you have to know the terrain because there are no maps). It contains a good deal of information about early trade routes. We’re including it because it is a pioneer text in the field of world history.

*Along the Silk Road. Elizabeth Ten Grotenhaus, ed. Washington, D.C. : Smithsonian Institution, 2002.

Noted cellist Yo-Yo Ma founded the Silk Road Project in 1998 to "study the ebb and flow of ideas along the Silk Road." The Project combines the study of musical tradition with a chance to promote artistic, cultural and education programs in countries whose borders were once crossed by the Silk Road. This volume contains historical information, artwork, essays, and an interview with Ma

*The Ancient Art in Xinjiang, China. Urumqi, China : Xinjiang Fine Arts and Photo Publishing House, 1994.

Representative sampling of the collection of early artifacts in the Xinjiang Provincial Museum in Urumchi.

*The Art in the Caves of Xinjiang. Xinjiang , China : Xinjiang Photographic and Art Publishing House, 1989.

Color photographs of cave paintings dating to Eastern Han dynasty, which are the earliest Buddhist paintings to have survived in China, as well as illustrations of artifacts which were removed by modern explorers to museums in Europe.

*Barber, Elizabeth Wayland. The Mummies of Urumchi. N.Y. : W.W. Norton, 1999.

Discussion of the collection of 3000 year old mummies and their wool clothing preserved in the provincial museum in Urumchi, Xinjiang province, China.

*Binglingsi Caves. [China]: Chongqing Publication Co., 1998.

Photographs of Buddhist statues dating from the Western Qin, Northern Wei, Northern Zhou, Tang and Ming Dynasties. Chinese text. (Does not include a photograph of the Great Buddha.)

*Christian, David. "Silk Roads or Steppe Roads? The Silk Roads in World History," Journal of World History, vol. 2, Spring 2000.

An indepth review of the historiography of the Silk Road, and its impact on world history.

*Dunhuang : a Centennial Commemoration of the Discovery of the Cave Library. Beijing: Morning Glory Publishers, 2000.

Color photographs of replicas of statues and murals by Chinese artists, as well as photos of paintings and sketches on silk from caves in Dunhuang, now in collections in London and Paris, plus other artifacts in museums in China.

Golden, Peter B. Nomads and Sedentary Societies in Medieval Eurasia. Washington D.C.: American Historical Association, 1998.

An informative essay that focuses on the Xiongnu, Türk and Mongol impact on Silk Road regions.

*Grotto Art in Dunhuang. Beijing: China Tourism Publishing House, 1998.

Basic introduction to Dunhuang area caves. Color photos, with text in Chinese and English.

*Hami Ancient Civilization. Xinjiang : Fine Arts and Photographing Press, 1997.

Photographs of cultural objects from the Hami region of the north central silk route, some dating back as far as 8000 BCE. Text in Chinese and English.

*Hopkirk, Peter. Foreign Devils on the Silk Road. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 1980.

Excellent accounts of the brilliant 19th-early 20th century scholar-adventurers who rediscovered the Silk Road sites, often at great personal risk, and who mined the Dunhuang library for its unique resources. Some of these people have been described as grave robbers, but that is a misnomer. They were for the most part brilliant scholar-linguists and archeologists who dug up records buried under mounds of sand and re-ignited interest in the cultures of the Silk Road. The fate of the Dunhuang manuscripts (and removal of certain panels and statues) is their most controversial legacy.

*Juliano, Annette L. Monks and Merchants Silk Road Treasures from Northwest China. New York : Harry N. Abrams, Inc. with The Asia Society, 2001.

Many pieces in this collection of works in gold, silver, glass, clay and stone were recently excavated and mostly unknown in the West. This catalog accompanies a major exhibition by The Asia Society in New York City.*Legacy of the Desert King : Textiles and Treasures Excavated at Niya on the Silk Road.

Hangzhou : China National Silk Museum, Urumqi: Xinjiang Institute of Archaeology, 2000.

Photographs of textiles and other artifacts recovered from a gravesite in Xinjiang province dating to the Han Dynasty (206 BCE to 220 CE), showing the richness of early Silk Road culture.

Liu, Xinru. The Silk Road: Overland Trade and Cultural Interactions in Eurasia. Washington, D.C.: American Historical Association, 1998.

Excellent brief history by a Chinese scholar who knows the subject.

*Major, John S. Caravan to America: Living Arts of the Silk Road. Chicago: Cricket Books, 2002.

Highlights artisans, arts, crafts and music originating from the Silk Road that can now be found in the west.

*Major, John S. The Silk Route : 2000 Miles of History. New York : HarperCollins, 1995. (ES/MS)

Traces the history and purpose of the trade routes between China and Constantinople.

*Mural Paintings at Binglingsi Caves, Yongjing, Gansu. Chongqing : Chongqing Publication Co., 1999.

Color photographs of cave paintings at this site, not generally accessible to visitors. Chinese text.

*Painted Brick Frescoes of the Wei and Jin Eras from Jiayuguan, Gansu. Chongqing : Chongqing Publication Co., 2000.

Photographs of daily life from brick frescoes in tombs, dating from the period immediately following the Han dynasty (3rd century CE). Text in Chinese.

*Rossabi, Morris. "The Silk Roads : An Educational Resource," Education About Asia, No. 4, 1999, pp. 16-20.

*Scenic Spots and Historical Sites on Silk Road—Photograph Album of Wu Jian. Urumchi, Xinjiang: Xinjiang People’s Publishing House, 1996.

Excellent photographs of sites, cave sculpture and paintings of Dunhuang, and scenery along the Silk Road.

*Schafer, Edward H. The Golden Peaches of Samarkand: A Study of T’ang Exotics. Berkeley: Univ. of California Press, 1963.

A great work of scholarship on everything traded along the Silk Route. Very readable and extremely informative.

*"The Silk Road" Calliope. Peterborough, N.H. : Cobblestone Publishing Co. Vol. 12, No. 6,

February 2002.

This world history magazine for middle school students contains articles about the history of the Silk Road and what it’s like today, and includes a play, "The Lotus Girl" by John Watt.

*Three Great Caves of the Dunhuang Grottoes. Lanzhou, Gansu: Gansu Culture Publishing House, 2000.

Mainly devoted to illustrations from the Mogao Grottoes. The illustrations are superb. The accompanying English language text is very limited.

Tracy, James, ed. The Rise of Merchant Empires. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1990.

Includes an essay by Rossabi essay on "The ‘Decline’ of the Central Asian Caravan Trade" which describes the nitty-gritty mechanics of the trade (the actual oases, the merchants, etc).

Walker, Annabelle. Aurel Stein: Pioneer of the Silk Road. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1998.

Sympathetic and interesting non-technical account of the great late 19th-early 20th century scholar and explorer of the old and mostly abandoned Buddhist Silk Road sites in and around the Taklamakan desert.

Watt, James A.C. When Silk Was Gold. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1989. "The essays show the significance of silk as a status symbol, as a monetary unit, as an item in trade, etc. The introductory essay offers a concise history of the silk trade." (Rossabi).

*Whitfield, Roderick. Caves of the Thousand Buddhas: Chinese Art from the Silk Route. New York: George Braziller, 1990.

This is a catalog of objects from the Aurel Stein collection of Central Asian Antiquities at the British Museum. It is lavishly illustrated. Although most of the material pertains to the great assemblage of Buddhist art from Dunhuang, there is a fascinating section on materials from other sites west of Dunhuang.

*Whitfield, Roderick. Cave Temples of Mogao: Art and History on the Silk Road. Los Angeles: Getty Museum, 2000.

Outstanding introduction to the history of the Cave Temples and what they represent. Illustrations are first rate.

Religion on the Silk Road

Ch’en, Kenneth. Buddhism in China : A Historical Survey. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1964.

Detailed, authoritative study.

*Dawson, Christopher, ed. The Mongol Mission: Narratives and Letters of the Franciscan Missionaries in Mongolia and China in the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Centuries. New York: Sheed and Ward, 1955.

Primary sources by John of Plano Carpini, Brother Benedict the Pole, William of Rubruck (the longest), and letters of John of Monte Corvino and others. Unique source for views of Catholic missionaries and proto-diplomats.

 

*Foltz, Richard C. Religions of the Silk Road: Overland Trade and Cultural Exchange From Antiquity to the Fifteenth Century. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1999.

A good, recent, non-technical introduction to this subject.

 

*Legge, James. A Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms: Being an Account of the Chinese Monk Fa-Hien (Faxian) of his Travels in India and Ceylon (A.D. 399-414) in Search of the Buddhist Books of Discipline. New York: Dover Publications, 1965.

Invaluable primary source by intrepid monk who underwent hair-raising adventures in the service of his faith.

 

*Rossabi, Morris. Voyager from Xanadu: Rabban Sauma and the First Journey from China to the West. New York: Kodansha International, 1992.

Rabban Sauma (c. 1225-1294) was a Nestorian monk who traveled from what is now Beijing to Rome, Paris and Bordeaux, meeting with major rulers of the time and conducting diplomatic missions along the way. A truly fascinating story, very well told. (Also a wonderful source on Nestorian Christianity).

 

*Wright, Arthur F. Buddhism in Chinese History. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1959.

Brief, authoritative study.

Travel Guides for the Silk Routes in China

 

*Bonavia, Judy. The Silk Road: From Xi’an to Kashgar. Revised by William Lindesay and Wu Qi. Hong Kong: Odyssey, 1999.

More focused on history and art than the next entry. Excellent illustrations and maps.

*The Golden Silk Road. Xian : China National Tourism Administration of the People's Republic of China, no date.

Illustrated introduction to the landscape and artifacts from five provinces along the Silk Road.

 

*Neville-Hadley, Peter. China: The Silk Routes. London: Cadogan Books, 1997.

Detailed, comprehensive guide. Full of information appropriate for travelers.

Travelers Along the Silk Routes

 

*Dawson, Christopher, ed. The Mongol Mission: Narratives and Letters of the Franciscan Missionaries in Mongolia and China in the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Centuries. New York: Sheed and Ward, 1955.

Primary sources by John of Plano Carpini, Brother Benedict the Pole, William of Rubruck (the longest), and letters of John of Monte Corvino and others. Unique source for views of Catholic missionaries and proto-diplomats.

 

*Dunn, Ross E. The Adventures of Ibn Battuta: A Muslim Traveler of the 14th Century. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1986.

The intrepid traveler did make a trip through the Central Asian region of the Silk Road and even got as far as China, but by sea. This is a well-written and entertaining account of Ibn Battuta’s daunting adventures.

 

*Mirsky, Jeannette, ed. The Great Chinese Travelers. New York: Pantheon, 1964.

Contains accounts of the travels of 1) Zhang Qian (Chang Ch’ien) from the Shi Ji or Historical Records, written during the reign of the early Han Emperor Wu; 2) Xuanzang (Hsuan-Tsang), compiled from two primary sources, one of them by Xuanzang (see the biography by Wriggins below); and 3) Rabban Sauma (see the biography by Rossabi below).

 

*Rossabi, Morris. Voyager from Xanadu: Rabban Sauma and the First Journey from China to the West. New York: Kodansha International, 1992.

Rabban Sauma (c. 1225-1294) was a Nestorian monk who traveled from what is now Beijing to Rome, Paris and Bordeaux, meeting with major rulers of the time and conducting diplomatic missions along the way. A truly fascinating story, very well told.

 

*Rumford, James. Traveling Man : The Journey of Ibn Battuta, 1325-1354. Boston : Houghton Mifflin, 2001. (ES/MS)

A beautifully illustrated (and illuminated) picture book that recounts Battuta’s journey by land and sea, from Africa to Asia and back.

 

*Sima Qian, Records of the Grand Historian. Translated by Burton Watson. Rev. ed. New York: Columbia University Press, 1993.

This is the source for information on Zhang Qian. The original work by Sima Qian is one of the greatest works of the Chinese historical tradition. The translation by Watson is also a major achievement. There is a fascinating chapter on the Xiongnu people who lived north of the Great Wall and much else relating to early Han dynasty history.

 

Waley, Arthur. The Travels of an Alchemist: The Journey of the Taoist Ch’ang-Chun from China to the Hindukush at the Summons of Chingiz Khan, Recorded by his Disciple Li Chih-chang. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1963.

Provides insight into the practice of Daoism during the period of Mongol supremacy as well as the encounter between two of the most remarkable people of this era.

 

Wriggins, Sally Hovey. The Silk Road Journey with Xuanzang. Rev. and updated. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 2004.

An updated version of the title listed below, with additional information on Xuanzang's years in China.

 

*Wriggins, Sally Hovey. Xuanzang: a Buddhist Pilgrim on the Silk Road. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1996.

Well researched non-technical account with excellent maps and pictures. So well received it’s been translated into Chinese.

Marco Polo

 

*Herbert, Janis. Marco Polo for Kids : 21 Activities. Chicago : Chicago Review Press, 2001. (ES/MS)

Arts and crafts, cooking and literature activities for students that follow Marco Polo’s journey. Includes a bibliography, list of websites and other background material.

 

*Larner, John. Marco Polo and the Discovery of the World. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1999.

A history of the great traveler and the even greater book. Disagrees with skeptics who doubt if Polo visited China. Excellent academic read.

 

*MacDonald, Fiona. Marco Polo: A Journey Through China. Illustrated by Mark Bergin. New York: Franklin Watts, 1997. (ES/MS)

 

*MacDonald, Fiona. The World in the Time of Marco Polo. Parsippany, N.J: Dillon Press, 1997.

Excellent review of world history in the time of Marco Polo. Great topics, illustrations, and a valuable time line. (MS)

 

*Marsden, W. ed. The Travels of Marco Polo. New York: Dorset Press, 1987.

See also editions by Ricci, Aldo, trans. The Travels of Marco Polo. New York: Viking Press, 1931; The Travels of Marco Polo: The Complete Yule-Cordier Edition (Vol 1). Also Letham, Ronald, ed. The Travels of Marco Polo.

 

*Stefoff, Rebecca. Marco Polo and the Medieval Explorers. New York: Chelsea House, 1992. (MS/HS)

Well researched and written.

 

*Wood, Frances. Did Marco Polo Go to China? Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1995. (HS)

The author is skeptical.

Mongol Era

 

*Chambers, James. Genghis Khan. Stroud, UK: Sutton Publishing, 1999. (HS)

Simple, non-technical account of life of one of the great conquerors of world history.

 

*Kessler, Adam T. Empires Beyond the Great Wall: The Heritage of Ghenghiz Khan. Los Angeles: Natural History Museum, 1994.

Illustrated exhibition catalog of empires beyond the Wall. Accompanying text contains errors, so do not use this source for information.

 

*Lister, R.P. Genghis Khan. New York: Cooper Square Press, 2000.

Well written account of an incredible life which had momentous consequences for millions. Based on the account provided by the Secret History of the Mongols.

*Nicholson, Robert. The Mongols: Facts, Stories, Activities. New York: Chelsea Juniors, 1994. (ES/MS)

Basic stuff for kids, light on historical issues.

Ratchnevsky, Paul. Genghis Khan.

"The most reliable and best account of Genghis Khan. Any information gleaned from other sources has to be checked in Ratchnevsky." (Rossabi).

Rossabi, Morris. Khubilai Khan: His Life and Times. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1988.

Comprehensive biography of the great emperor by a leader in the field.

Waley, Arthur. The Secret History of the Mongols, and Other Pieces. London: Allen and Unwin, 1963.

Fascinating excerpts "founded on story-tellers’ tales." (Note: Waley regarded the historical value of the Secret History as ‘almost nil.’)

Tibetan Culture Along the Silk Road

 

*Nietupski, Paul Kocot. Labrang: A Tibetan Buddhist Monastery at the Crossroads of Four Civilizations. Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion Publications, 1999.

History of the monastery up to 1950. Strongest on period from 1921-49 due to photos and documents from the Griebenow Archives, assembled by a US missionary family residing in the area during that time. These source materials are of great interest.

Silk Road in Central Asia

 

Frye, Richard N. The Heritage of Central Asia: From Antiquity to the Turkish Expansion. Princeton: Marcus Wiener Publishers, 1996.

Solid but not too detailed academic history of the region, with useful information on the Kushan, Sogdian, and other empires that controlled the Central Asian stretch of the Silk Road.

 

*Hopkirk, Peter. The Great Game: On Secret Service in High Asia. New York: Oxford University Press, 1990.

Tales of derring-do and insane male courage having to do with the nasty competition between the 19th century Russian and British Imperial competition for power in Central Asia. Hopkirk is a master in telling this kind of story.

 

*MacLeod, Calum . Uzbekistan: The Golden Road to Samarkand. Hong Kong: The Guidebook Company, 1997.

Excellent information on ancient Central Asian Silk Road towns and cultures, e.g. (from West to East) Khiva, Bukhara, Samarkand, Tashkent, Kokand, Ferghana.

 

*Malouf, Amin. Samarkand. Translated by Russell Harris. New York: Interlink Books, 1998.

Fascinating historical novel. The first half is set in Samarkand during the 11th century at the height of the Seljuk Turkish ascendancy in Central Asia. The key protagonist is none other than the great poet and mathematician Omar Kayyam. The history mainly deals with the politics of the time, but there are splendid insights into the culture, including religious affairs, the caravanserais, and the instability of personal lives. A great read.

Manz, Beatrice Forbes. The Rise and Rule of Tamerlane. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1999.

Very scholarly and informative account of the great 14th century despot. (Unfortunately for us this work is pitched at the research level; it would require a good deal of time and effort to extract a lesson plan out of it)

*Wimmel, Kenneth. The Alluring Target: In Search of the Secrets of Central Asia. Palo Alto, CA: Trackless Sands Press, 1996.

Covers some of the same ground as Hopkirk’s Foreign Devils (see above). Well-written snapshots of 19th and early 20th century explorers and invaders of Chinese Turkestan/Xinjiang, Tibet, Mongolia, etc.

Stories and Folktales

 

*Chen, Yu. Tales From Dunhuang. Beijing: New World Press, 1989.

Interesting melange of old stories and legends, with illustrations from the Mogao caves. The stories are short and could be read aloud.

 

*Frescoes and Fables : Mural Stories from the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang. Translated by Li Guishan. Beijing : New World Press, 1998.

Stories in English with accompanying illustrations from the Mogao Grottoes.

 

*Gilchrist, Cherry. Stories From the Silk Road. Illustrated by Nilesh Mistry. New York: Barefoot Books, 1999.

Stories from along the Silk Road, from Changan to Samarkand.

Delightfully told and superbly illustrated. Should fire up any child’s imagination! (ES/MS)

 

Kherdian, David. Monkey : A Journey to the West; a Retelling of the Chinese Folk Novel by Wu Cheng’en. Boston : Shambhala, 1992.

 

*Whitfield, Susan. Life Along the Silk Road. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1999.

Splendid and often poignant collection of stories, with excellent historical framing. Deals with the Tang era. A first rate source for discussion with older students, but could readily be adapted for use with younger students.

 

Wu, Cheng’en. Journey to the West. Translated by W.J.F. Jenner. Beijing : Foreign Language Press, 2001.

The classic Chinese mythological tale that recounts the birth of Monkey King and his rebellion against heaven. There have been many versions of this work; e.g., another popular edition was edited and translated by Anthony C. Yu and published by the University of Chicago, 1977-1983.

 

*Xu, Xiaobin. Dunhuang Dreams. Beijing : Panda Books, 1998.

A novel with a Buddhist twist, set in Dunhuang.

Curriculum Units and Teacher Guides

 

*Along the Silk Road: People, Interaction, and Cultural Exchange. Stanford, CA : Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education, 1993.

Eight lesson plans (with video) include Preparing the Journey; Zhang Qian; Trade along the Silk Road; Cross-Cultural Communication; Sharing Beliefs and Ideas; The Silk Road during the Golden Age of Tang; Change along Silk Road; and Cultural Exchange Today along Silk Road. Includes text for a three scene play reading.

 

*The Silk Road: Student Activity Package and Answer Key. DATT North America Multimedia Corporation, 1997.

Includes CD-Rom. An excellent package for introducing the topic, with sections and activities on peoples, religions, history, languages, explorers, the journey, and an appendix.

 

*Silk Road Encounters Education Kit. New York : distributed by The Asia Society, 2001.

Packet includes a Sourcebook on the Silk Road Project, a Teacher’s Guide, cd-rom, and slides.

Videos

 

*Along the Silk Road. Stanford, CA : SPICE, 1992. (37 minutes)

Part of the Social Studies curriculum for grades 6-10 produced by the China Project and the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education.

 

*Ancient China. Wynnewood, PA : Schlessinger Media, 1998. (23 minutes)

Part of the Ancient Civilizations for Children series.

 

*The Mysterious Mummies of China. Alexandria, VA : PBS Video, 1998. (60 min.)

Looks at the inhabitants of the Takta Makan desert. Their possible role in the history of the Silk Road is explored.

 

*The Silk Road. New York : Central Park Media, 1990-1998. (I : 55 minutes each; II : 150 minutes each)

This 12 part series was one of the first joint productions between China and the outside world. Set 1 includes: The Glories of Ancient Chang-an, A Thousand Kilometers Beyond the Yellow River, The Art Gallery in the Desert, The Dark Castle, In Search of the Kingdom of Lou-Lan and Across the Talklamakan Desert. Set II contains A Heat Wave Called Turfan, Two Roads to the Pamirs, Journey into Music, Khotan-Oasis of Silk and Jade, Through the Tian-Shan Mountains by Rail and Where Horses Fly Like the Wind. An additional six tapes were created as Silk Road II. They include: Across the Pamir, In Search of Wisdom, Beyond Baghdad, The Soghdian Merchants, Across the Karakum Desert and All Roads Lead to Rome. All are appropriate for upper Middle School grades and above.