Journal articles on the topic 'Xinjiang-Central Asian region'

The Xinjiang region in northwest China is a historically important geographical passage between East and West Eurasia. By sequencing 201 ancient genomes from 39 archaeological sites, we clarify the complex demographic history of this region. Bronze Age Xinjiang populations are characterized by four major ancestries related to Early Bronze Age cultures from the central and eastern Steppe, Central Asian, and Tarim Basin regions. Admixtures between Middle and Late Bronze Age Steppe cultures continued during the Late Bronze and Iron Ages, along with an inflow of East and Central Asian ancestry. Historical era populations show similar admixed and diverse ancestries as those of present-day Xinjiang populations. These results document the influence that East and West Eurasian populations have had over time in the different regions of Xinjiang.

Xinjiang is a key region in northwestern China, connecting East and West Eurasian populations and cultures for thousands of years. To understand the genetic history of Xinjiang, we sequenced 237 complete ancient human mitochondrial genomes from the Bronze Age through Historical Era (41 archaeological sites). Overall, the Bronze Age Xinjiang populations show high diversity and regional genetic affinities with Steppe and northeastern Asian populations along with a deep ancient Siberian connection for the Tarim Basin Xiaohe individuals. In the Iron Age, in general, Steppe-related and northeastern Asian admixture intensified, with North and East Xinjiang populations showing more affinity with northeastern Asians and South Xinjiang populations showing more affinity with Central Asians. The genetic structure observed in the Historical Era of Xinjiang is similar to that in the Iron Age, demonstrating genetic continuity since the Iron Age with some additional genetic admixture with populations surrounding the Xinjiang region.

The genus Brachygluta Thomson, 1859 and two widely distributed Central Asian species, B. iranica (Saulcy, 1876) and Trissemus melinus (Solsky, 1870), are newly recorded from China (Xinjiang). A diagnosis, illustrations of the habitus and morphological details of both species, and a redescription of T. melinus is provided.

The importance of Central Asia for China increased with the change in international power structure, growth of its economy, rapid industrialization and increase in population. China is regarded as the second largest energy consumer in the world while Central Asia has rich energy resources and raw materials complementary for its economic growth. It is interested in the energy resources of Central Asia for the security of its energy supply and a large market for its finished goods. Prior to Central Asian energy resources, China was importing oil from the Middle East. The route of oil supply from M.E to China was passing through Malacca strait, under the control of United States, a perceived rival of China in the world politics. In case of conflict this route may be blocked by United States. This situation worried the Chinese policy makers and prepared a comprehensive policy regarding the energy resources of Central Asian region. Energy is not the only concern of China in Central Asia; it is also worried about the security of its Xinjiang, sharing border with some Central Asian Republics (CARs). About 60% of the population of Xinjiang are Uyghur Muslims. The same ethnic community also exists on the other side of the border in the Central Asian Republics. China has an apprehension that in case of instability in the region, terrorists organizations may instigate the China’s Uyghur for independence. That is why, China is supporting United States in its fight against terrorism. Politically, it wants to reduce the influence of United States in the region by integration with the CARs (Central Asian Republics) through SCO particularly after US military penetration in the region in 2001. Applying a descriptive-analytical approach in the paper, the interests of China in CARs are surveyed.

In the XXI century the role of Central Asia in international politics is increasing. This region, possessing rich natural, energy, mineral and raw material resources, has an important geostrategic position, in which we see the geopolitical confrontation of global actors. The confrontation is explained by the fact that, for example, for Russia this region, being a “vulnerable underbelly”, is included in the traditional sphere of influence, from the perspective of China, the region seems to be an alternative source of energy and a vital partner for stabilizing and developing the troubled Xinjiang province. As for the United States and their allies, this region appears to be an important transportation hub, for example, for military supplies to unstable Afghanistan. Central Asia is not only a key region on the world map, the establishment of control over which allows you to manage the regional transit of hydrocarbons and other types of strategic raw materials for the largest developing economies, primarily China, and, as a result, affect their economic growth and aggregate power. Central Asia is a crossroad of civilizations, control over which, as was believed over the centuries, allows you to rule the world. The region retains its exceptional geopolitical significance today.

The Uyghurs are a Turkic-Muslim minority in the People`s Republic of China (PRC), their native language belongs to a Turkic language family and is written on the basis of Arabic graphics, and regard themselves as culturally and ethnically close to Central Asian nations. This article deals with the issue of the Uyghur identity role in the case of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR) in China and its manifestations in relation to Chinese policy in the region. In order to study this issue the article analyzes the Uyghurs` attitude towards the Han Chinese migrants and their reaction towards Mandarin tuition as well as the salience of Islam faith as a crucial identity marker.

China, Russia and the Central Asian states of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan formed the Shanghai Co-operation Organization (SCO) in 2001. China's backing for an SCO charter, permanent secretariat and anti-terrorism centre for the past three years reflects its desire to strengthen the SCO in countering United States influence in Central Asia. Diplomatically, China fears that the American presence means that regional states will be less accommodating to China's political demands. Economically, China worries that the United States' support for American petroleum companies will compromise Chinese efforts to wrest concessions from Central Asian governments. Security-wise, with bases close to China's western borders, Washington can assist Beijing in flushing out Xinjiang separatists operating in Central Asia, or put military pressure on China, should it be perceived as a threat. The American presence and resurgent Russian involvement in Central Asia seem to have put China's influence in the region on the defensive.

Limited natural resources, internal socio-economic and political crises, and the low level of infrastructure development, especially in the first years after gaining sovereignty, have affected the trade, transport, and logistics vulnerability of Central Asian countries. Trade between the People’s Republic of China and European countries became a determining factor in developing the region’s transport routes. More than 90 % of freight is delivered by sea, but the role of land routes has increased significantly since 2020. China faces the pressing issues of developing the economies of its western provinces, especially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The development of land routes coincides with the implementation of the strategic objectives for the Silk Road Economic Belt, as well as the interests of the countries whose territories these transport routes run through. The countries of the Central Asian region are striving to participate in transit and have been very active at interstate meetings, discussing cargo delivery options. This issue became especially relevant after the sharp decline in China’s use of transit through the territory of the Russian Federation. Of many proposed transport routes and corridors, the most promising are the Trans-Afghan Railway and the “Middle Corridor”. The successful construction of the transport and logistics will largely depend on developing relationships with Afghanistan’s political leadership and the PRC’s attention to infrastructure projects.

The article examines the place and role of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China in the economic project of the New Silk Road in the context of China's international relations. The importance of the XUAR for China at the beginning of the XXI century increases due to its economic and geostrategic characteristics. China's economic strategy contributes to its strengthening in the Central Asian region and strengthens its position in comparison with the capabilities of Russia and the United States. For China, this is not only a desire to achieve foreign economic goals, but also an opportunity to reduce the risks of the terrorist threat. Xinjiang is becoming not only a springboard for China's new economic policy in Central Asia, but also a link between the important route of goods, raw materials and investments from the Pacific Ocean to Europe. At the same time, the XUAR is a zone of long-term instability, which is expressed in the development of separatism, terrorism and extremism. The actions of the Chinese authorities are aimed at stabilizing the situation in the autonomous region. But sometimes this is achieved by force and contradicts the ethno-religious traditions of the local population. Thus, XUAR, which is part of the New Silk Road, is characterized not only as a promisingly developing region, but also represents a hotbed of significant risk.

Purpose. This article considers and analyzes the information, contained in ancient and medieval sources, about residence areas of the Yenisei and Central Asian Kyrgyz during particular historical periods, including late Antiquity, Early and High Middle Ages. These periods are related to the time of existence of political and military domination in the Central Asian Region of the ancient and medieval Turkic and Mongolian nomads, including Xiongnu, Xianbei, Turkic, Teles and Khitan nomadic ethnic groups. Results. During one of those historical periods, after the defeat of the Uyghur Khaganate, the Kyrgyz themselves dominated over Central Asian steppes. Resettlement areas of the Kyrgyz in Central Asia and Southern Siberia changed considerably on several occasions. During various historical periods, the Kyrgyz resided in the territory of Eastern Tian Shan, within the bounds of modern Xinjiang and during the following historical periods in Minusinsk Basin as well, followed by the vast territories of the Sayan and Altai Mountains and a major part of Central Asia, as well as within the bounds of the Western Tian Shan mountain range. The article analyzes the available informative historical data in ancient and medieval sources about the main resettlement areas of the Kyrgyz in different territories in definite time periods of their residence within the bounds of the Central Asian historical and cultural region. Conclusion. Since their repeated resettlement into the eastern Tian Shan region in the era of the Kyrgyz Great Power, the Old Kyrgyz descendants could have reclaimed the mountains and valleys of Tengir-Too. They could have also restored their statehood at the turn of historical modernity, firstly in its capacity as a republic within the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and during the last decades by way of the independent state of the Kyrgyz Republic in the Commonwealth of Independent States. Despite all existing current complexities, the Kyrgyz keep their State.

Purpose. Some objects having the same form as Seima-Turbino bronze artifacts and found on the territory of China were first identified in this way and put into scientific circulation by S. V. Kiselev. The researcher worked with the archaeological collections of the Bronze Age in a number of Chinese museums in the middle of the last century. At present, the number of such artifacts is constantly increasing. The set of spearheads, solid daggers, scepters and rods was expanded with several bronze celts originating from Xinjiang. Similar products are widespread in the southern regions of the West Siberian Plain. There are researchers who attribute some artifacts from this set to Seima-Turbino bronzes. Finds of bronze artifacts resembling Seima-Turbino type in measurements and proportions discovered in the Xinjiang area and the adjacent regions of Central Asia allow us to consider these territories as the areas of distribution of this phenomenon. Since these materials are not readily available for European researchers but their significance for understanding the Seima-Turbino phenomenon is very high, it seems reasonable to introduce such items to a wide range of specialists. Results. At present, about ten bronze celts from the territory of Xinjiang are known to the author as associated with the Seima-Turbino community. Intense archaeological research in Xinjiang has resulted in a whole series of extremely interesting archaeological discoveries including single finds which are now scattered in numerous museums in the region. There is no doubt that due to active excavation studies in Xinjiang the number of celts that are close in appearance to classic examples of the Seima-Turbino type will only increase. Conclusion. In this paper, we describe several of the Seima-Turbino artifacts from Xinjiang available to us and prove the existence of relations between the region of Xinjiang and more northern territories of the Asian continent, in particular Siberia, during the Bronze Age. The main destination taken by the bearers of Seima-Turbino tradition seems to spread to the north along the Irtysh River. The classic types of Seima-Turbino bronze artifacts found all over the Irtysh region indicate that when they reached the steppes and forest-steppes of Western Siberia, Seima-Turbino population occupied this area and adapted to the local conditions and autochthonous cultures of the Bronze Age, such as Odino and Krotovo. Then, for some reason, they moved to the west and east in a fan-like dispersion, leaving archaeological sites and some objects of Seima-Turbino type on their way. The materials presented in this article expand our understanding of the essence of the historical and cultural processes in Central and part of North Asia in the Bronze Age and can be widely used for educational purposes in universities, as it is done at Novosibirsk State University as part of the course “Archaeology of Siberia in the Bronze Age”.

The paper analyzes images of dogs in rock art of China. According to the semantics of compositions the following groups can be distinguished: hunting dogs, herding dogs, guard dogs, using of dogs in rituals, mythological and folklore motifs and other images. According to the distribution of different thematic groups of images, two big areas – northern and south-western – can be seen. In northern regions of China (Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Gansu Province) the scenes of practical use of dogs (hunting, grazing, guarding herds and dwellings) prevail, which can be explained by the characteristics of the economic structure of the nomadic peoples who inhabited these territories. The images of a horseman followed by a dog and a bird of prey seen in Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia can be interpreted as depictions of some motifs of heroic epos of Central Asian nomadic peoples. Other compositions in northern regions have been found to depict not only “realistic”, but “mytho-ritual” interpretations as well. In south-western regions (Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Yunnan Province, Sichuan Province) the images of dogs in ritual and/or a mythological context are more common. It is likely connected with the less practical importance of dogs in the agricultural economy and the higher status of this animal in the spiritual culture of the peoples of Southern China. Rock paintings in Cangyuan County, Yunnan Province, is an exception that combines the images belonging to both traditions, namely a picture of a hunting dog and a dog as a sacrificial animal. Some images cannot yet be deciphered unequivocally.

China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was launched in 2015 when 51 agreements and MoUs (Memorandums of Understanding) worth USD 46 billion were signed between China and Pakistan. This grand-scale bilateral project is a flagship constituent of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). CPEC started with the goal of modernizing Pakistan’s road, rail, air, and energy transportation systems and enhancing connectivity between its Gwadar and Karachi ports to the Chinese province of Xinjiang and beyond. For Pakistan, CPEC not only meant an opportunity to address its existing challenges like the energy crisis but also a golden moment to emerge as a hub for economic activities in the region. This article discusses comparatives in Geo-Strategic countries, which can suggest the future course of CPEC projects. India, Russia, and Iran have agreed in 2000 to construct a route between Mumbai and St-Petersburg through Tehran and Moscow to facilitate the movement of energy resources from Central Asia. Likewise, China-Pakistan Corridor will increase economic activity between both countries and the region. This Corridor may also be beneficial to “String of Pearls” that China’s “culture” to save its sea lives of communication catering to protect oil and gas supplies, which are emerging from the Gulf of Persia, Middle East, and China. Investors will take advantage of various economic-related activities to promote the agriculture industry, tourism, construction activities, vehicle industry, information technology, etc. Corridors will fulfil the energy resource needs of many countries through the Caspian Sea and Central Asian Republics. However, this project is facing internal and external threats, Pakistan is facing terrorist attacks, and the Chinese province Xinjiang is facing threats. Serious security threats to this project are likely to emanate from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran. The Uighur terrorists have a close relationship with the Taliban in FATA, which is a serious and adverse threat to Chinese interests in Pakistan. This thesis is an effort to find reasons and suggest suitable measures for the Government to sort out challenges to avoid delays in the implementation and completion of the project.

Within the Altai-Sayan region, we identified 103 species of Teloschistaceae from 1193 field records supported by herbarium vouchers. The recorded species belong to the subfamilies Xanthorioideae (46 species in 14 genera) and Caloplacoideae (57 species in 17 genera); Teloschistoideae is absent. We divided the 194 surveyed localities into four categories: arid alpine, arid non-alpine, humid alpine, humid non-alpine. Each category has a specific lichen composition and a typical combination of traits. Humid non-alpine localities are mostly inhabited by broadly distributed boreal-montane species; humid alpine sites by arctic-alpine lichens; arid non-alpine habitats are preferred by xerophilous Eurasian species and arid alpine sites by xerophilous Central Asian species with (presumably) large geographic ranges in dry continental Asia. Some arid alpine species have a thick crustose thallus with a very thick medulla and cortex; this morphological trait is confined to the Central Asian group of lichens and is absent from other climatic regions, such as arctic, boreal or oceanic Eurasia. We compared species diversity in the Altai-Sayan region with the Alps. Both regions differ in species and generic composition and the richness is higher in the latter. Taxonomy: Caloplaca fluviatilis is newly described. New combinations are Pachypeltis insularis, P. pachythallina, P. phoenicopta and Variospora sororicida. Two of Magnusson’s names are newly synonymized: Caloplaca infestans with Pachypeltis intrudens and Caloplaca kansuensis with C. bicolor. In addition to 22 known genera, we define, provisionally, 9 groups of species that may merit recognition as genera. Caloplaca epithallina is provisionally placed in Shackletonia, but we do not formally publish a new combination. Lichenicolous Pachypeltis phoenicopta and Variospora sororicida are less host-specific than originally thought. Floristics: Caloplaca pratensis is new to Eurasia, Caloplaca helygeoides (= C. diphyodes auct.), C. monacensis and C. soralifera are new to Asia. 12 species are new to Russia, 9 new to Siberia, 9 new to China, 2 new to Kazakhstan, and 2 new to Xinjiang. Outside the studied region Pachypeltis phoenicopta is new to Europe (Spain, Sierra Nevada) and we report the first reliable record of Pachypeltis insularis from Greece (Mt Olympus).

Abstract The arid and semiarid region in central Asia is sensitive and vulnerable to climate variations. However, the sparse and highly unevenly distributed meteorological stations in the region provide limited data for understanding of the region’s climate variations. In this study, the near-surface air temperature change in central Asia from 1979 to 2011 was examined using observations from 81 meteorological stations, three local observation validated reanalysis datasets of relatively high spatial resolutions, and the Climate Research Unit (CRU) dataset. Major results suggested that the three reanalysis datasets match well with most of the local climate records, especially in the low-lying plain areas. The consensus of the multiple datasets showed significant regional surface air temperature increases of 0.36°–0.42°C decade−1 in the past 33 years. No significant contributions from declining irrigation and urbanization to temperature change were found. The rate is larger in recent years than in the early years in the study period. Additionally, unlike in many regions in the world, the temperature in winter showed no increase in central Asia in the last three decades, a noticeable departure from the global trend in the twentieth century. The largest increase in surface temperature was occurring in the spring season. Analyses further showed a warming center in the middle of the central Asian states and weakened temperature variability along the northwest–southeast temperature gradient from the northern Kazakhstan to southern Xinjiang. The reanalysis datasets also showed significant negative correlations between temperature increase rate and elevation in this complex terrain region.

The maps illustrating the archaeological surveys of Sir Aurel Stein's Central Asian expeditions remain to this day the most authoritative map series concerning the location of archaeological monuments in the Tarim Basin and Gansu Corridor of western China. The aim of this article is to evaluate the present-day value of Stein's maps for both relocating known ancient sites and attempting to locate additional sites on more recent maps. Figure i of this article shows the general area surveyed by Stein's expeditions. This study will be divided into three main parts: (i) a general description of Stein's cartographic surveys in terms of the regions of Xinjiang and Gansu surveyed and features depicted; (2) map series covering this region produced since Stein's surveys, and an outline of the history of the treatment of place names on both Stein's and subsequent maps; (3) an in-depth study of the Niya site area to illustrate both the extent to which Stein's original findings can be relocated on recent maps and the value of such maps for locating additional ancient sites.

Bats dispersed widely after evolving the capacity for powered flight, and fossil bats are known from the early Eocene of most continents. Until now, however, bats have been conspicuously absent from the early Eocene of mainland Asia. Here, we report two teeth from the Junggar Basin of northern Xinjiang, China belonging to the first known early Eocene bats from Asia, representing arguably the most plesiomorphic bat molars currently recognized. These teeth combine certain bat synapomorphies with primitive traits found in other placental mammals, thereby potentially illuminating dental evolution among stem bats. The Junggar Basin teeth suggest that the dentition of the stem chiropteran family Onychonycteridae is surprisingly derived, although their postcranial anatomy is more primitive than that of any other Eocene bats. Additional comparisons with stem bat families Icaronycteridae and Archaeonycteridae fail to identify unambiguous synapomorphies for the latter taxa, raising the possibility that neither is monophyletic as currently recognized. The presence of highly plesiomorphic bats in the early Eocene of central Asia suggests that this region was an important locus for the earliest, transitional phases of bat evolution, as has been demonstrated for other placental mammal orders including Lagomorpha and Rodentia.

We present the results of an interdisciplinary study of an unusual sample of wool fabric, found at the Jety-Asar-2 fortifi ed site, representing the Jety-Asar culture of the late 4th century BC to early 1st century AD, in the central Turan Plain. We outline the results of the analysis of the dyes and technological characteristics of the fabric. The woven pattern is described in detail. The specimen is compared with the tapestry from Shanpula (Sampul) cemetery in the Hotan oasis, Xinjiang, China. We examine the idea that the Jety-Asar fabric had been manufactured in Shanpula and transported to the Aral basin along the Great Silk Road. Previously, this type of tapestry was believed to have been used only in the Hotan oasis, because no direct parallels with other areas were known. A direct parallel with such a remote westerly region is all the more intriguing. Apparently, colorful strips of woolen tapestry depicting animals, birds, humans, fantastic beings, mountains, and fl owers were in big demand. The tradition, then, may have been distributed much more widely than previously thought. Many anthropomorphic, zoomorphic, plant, and purely decorative motifs have numerous parallels in the Early Iron Age art of the Eurasian steppes, highlands, and piedmont areas. The Shanpula people used such fabric for decorating skirts. In other cultures, it was destined for various purposes.

Global warming and the sharp rise in atmospheric CO2 concentrations have a profound impact on forest ecosystems. To better manage these changes, a comprehensive understanding of forest ecosystem responses to global change is essential. There is a lack of knowledge about the growth response of Schrenk spruce (Picea schrenkiana Fisch. et Mey)—an endemic tree species found in the arid Central Asian region—to climate change and rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations. In this study, core samples of Schrenk spruce were collected in the Sayram Lake Basin, Xinjiang. Tree-ring radial growth and long-term intrinsic water-use efficiency (iWUE) chronologies were established based on standard tree-ring width and stable carbon isotope methods. The relationships between atmospheric CO2 concentrations, climate, radial growth, and iWUE were analyzed. Our results indicate that the iWUE of trees in this region has continued to rise rapidly but that radial growth has not increased over the past 160 years. The main factor affecting iWUE is atmospheric CO2 concentrations (Ca), whereas the radial growth is much more sensitive to water availability. This may explain why the increase Ca has not had a fertilizer effect on the radial growth of trees.

Abstract. Over the last 4 decades, Asian countries have undergone substantial economic development, leading to rapid urbanization and industrialization. Consequently, fossil fuel consumption has risen dramatically, worsening the air quality in Asia. Fossil fuel combustion emits particulate matter containing toxic metals that can adversely affect living organisms, including humans. Thus, it is imperative to investigate the temporal and spatial extent of metal pollution in Asia. Recently, we reported a continuous and high-resolution 1650–1991 ice core record from the Guliya ice cap in northwestern Tibet, China, showing contamination of Cd, Pb, and Zn during the 20th century. Here, we present a new continuous and high-resolution ice core record of trace metals from the Guliya ice cap that comprises the years between 1971 and 2015, extending the 1650–1991 ice core record into the 21st century. Non-crustal Cd, Pb, Zn, and Ni enrichments increased have since the 1990s relative to the 1971–1990 period, reaching a maximum in 2008. The enrichments of Cd, Pb, Zn, and Ni increased by ∼75 %, 35 %, 30 %, and 10 %, respectively, during the 2000–2015 period relative to 1971–1990. The observed trace element (TE) enrichments likely originated primarily from fossil fuel combustion and biomass burning, with contributions from industrial processes and agricultural activities from South Asia (Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, and Nepal), Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan), and the Xinjiang province in western China. This new record demonstrates that the current emissions in Asia impact remote high-altitude glaciers in the region.

In this paper, we present new data on the genus Macrosaldula Leston & Southwood, 1964 based on material held in the collections of the National Museum (Prague, Czech Republic) and the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (St. Petersburg, Russia). Macrosaldula graziae sp. nov., from South Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, is described. Among the Central Asian species of the genus, it is close to M. tadzhika (Kiritshenko, 1912) by the presence of long erect setae on the body dorsum, but the latter species differs in the smaller body size, the presence of light spots on the corium, and in the structure of the male genitalia. In extremely dark specimens of M. jakowleffi (Reuter, 1891), the hemelytra are opaque, with short erect setae. Siberian M. rivularia (J. Sahlberg, 1878), M. simulans Cobben, 1985 and the Far Eastern M. koreana (Kiritshenko, 1912) and M. violacea Cobben, 1985 are distinguished from the new species by the short pubescence on the dorsum. We provide new distributional data for M. clavalis Cobben, 1985 (Georgia), M. jakowleffi (Reuter, 1891) (China: Xinjiang: Altai Mts.—first record), M. miyamotoi Cobben, 1985 (Japan: Honshu), M. nivalis (Lindberg, 1935) (Afghanistan—first record, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan), M. scotica (Curtis, 1835) (Georgia: Adzharia; Russia: Murmansk District), and M. tadzhika (Afghanistan—first record, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan). The record of M. scotica from Uzbekistan is disconsidered, and the two specimens are referred to M. graziae sp. nov.

Observation data from March to May 2020 of the Ka-band millimeter-wave cloud radar and disdrometer, located in Xinjiang, a typical arid region of China, were used to study the diurnal variation of clouds and precipitation, raindrop size distribution (DSD), and the physical parameters of raindrops. The results showed that there are conspicuous diurnal changes in clouds and precipitation. There is a decreasing trend of the cloud base height (CBH) from 05:00 to 19:00 CST (China Standard Time, UTC +8) and a rising trend of CBHs from 20:00 to 04:00 CST. The cloud top height (CTH) and the cloud thickness show a rising trend from 03:00 to 05:00 CST, 12:00 to 14:00 CST, and 20:00 to 01:00 CST. The diurnal variation of clouds is mainly driven by wind and temperature closely related to the topography of the study area. There are three apparent precipitation periods during the day, namely, 02:00–09:00 CST, 12:00 CST, and 17:00–21:00 CST. The changes in the physical parameters of raindrops are more drastic and evident with a lower CBH, lower CTH, and higher number of cloud layers from 12:00 to 21:00 CST than other times, which are closely related to day-to-day variations of systems moving through, and incoming solar radiation and the mountain–valley wind circulation caused by the trumpet-shaped topography that opens to the west played a secondary role. The DSD is in agreement with a normalized gamma distribution, and the value of the shape factor μ is significantly different from the fixed μ value in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model. The rain in arid Xinjiang had a higher concentration of raindrops and a smaller average raindrop diameter than the rain in other humid regions of the Central and Southeast Asian continent. In the Z−R (radar reflectivity–rain rate) relationship, Z=249R1.20 is derived for stratiform rain, and it is significantly different from humid regions. Using Z/Dm (mass–weighted mean diameter) and R, a new empirical relationship Z/Dm=214R1.20 is established, and improvement is obtained in rain retrieval by using the Z/Dm−R relation relative to the conventional Z−R relation. Additionally, the Nt−R, Dm−R, Nw−R, and Nt−Nw relationships with larger differences from humid regions are established by fitting the power-law equations. These results are useful for improving the data parameters of microphysical processes of WRF and the accuracy of quantitative precipitation estimation in arid regions.

Mongolia, as one of the geographical and semantic centerpieces of Central Asia, has remained in focus of Finno-Ugric, Altaic and Turkic studies for several generations. Expeditions and academic publications in the 1840s-1910s were given special attention due to growing political tension in a strategically important region, where the interests of the "Great Powers", Japan and China, converged. The search for Oriental rarities and negotiations with the leaders and religious figures of Mongolia, Tibet and Xinjiang took place against the backdrop of tense social situation in a multiethnic and multiconfessional land. Mongolia, the Mongolian language and ethnoculture have gained prominence in the scholarly discourse of Finno-Ugric studies. By looking into Mongolian materials, Finnish and Hungarian researchers have tried either to confirm or to disprove the linguistic and ethnogenetic closeness of their own ethnicities to the Central Asian cultures of the past. M.A. Castrén and A. Csoma de Kőrös had paved the first roads of research to the East, after which the expeditions of J.R. Aspelin, H. Vámbéry, A.O. Heikel, K.G. Mannerheim, G.J. Ramstedt and J.G. Granö followed. A leading role in the organization of field research in Southern Siberia, Altai and Mongolia was played by the Finnish-Ugric Society, established in 1883, and its longstanding Chairman, Professor O. Donner. Studying the oral poetry, literary and monumental heritage of Mongolia, scholars have directly or indirectly touched upon the issues of ethnic identity and self-representation of contemporary Finno-Ugric peoples. In this case, the scholarly dialogue was combined with discussions on domestic politics and international affairs at the same expedition tent.

Abstract. PM2.5 and TSP samples were collected at the summit of Mountain Tai (MT) (1534 m a.s.l.) in spring 2006/2007 and summer 2006 to investigate the characteristics of aerosols over central eastern China. For comparison, aerosol samples were also collected at Tazhong, Urumqi, and Tianchi in Xinjiang in northwestern China, Duolun and Yulin in northern China, and two urban sites in the megacities, Beijing and Shanghai, in 2007. Daily mass concentrations of TSP and PM2.5 ranged from 39.6–287.6 μg m−3 and 17.2–235.7 μg m−3 respectively at the summit of MT. Averaged concentrations of PM2.5 showed a pronounced seasonal variation with higher concentration in summer than spring. 17 water-soluble ions (SO42−, NO3−, Cl−, F−, PO43−, NO2−, CH3COO−, CH2C2O42−, C2H4C2O42−, HCOO−, MSA, C2O42−, NH4+, Ca2+, K+, Mg2+, Na+), and 19 elements of all samples were measured. SO42−, NO3−, and NH4+ were the major water-soluble species in PM2.5, accounting for 61.50 % and 72.65 % of the total measured ions in spring and summer, respectively. The average ratio of PM2.5/TSP was 0.37(2006) and 0.49(2007) in spring, while up to 0.91 in summer, suggesting that aerosol particles were primarily comprised of fine particles in summer and of considerable coarse particles in spring. Crustal elements (e.g., Ca, Mg, Al, Fe, etc.) showed higher concentration in spring than summer, while most of the pollution species (SO42−, NO3−, K+, NO2−, NH4+, Cl−, organic acids, Pb, Zn, Cd, and Cr) from local/regional anthropogenic emissions or secondary formation presented higher concentration in summer. The ratio of Ca/Al suggested the impact of Asian dust from the western deserts on the air quality in this region. The high concentration of K+ in PM2.5 (4.41 μg m−3) and its good correlation with black carbon (r = 0.90) and oxalic acid (r = 0.87) suggested the severe pollution from biomass burning, which was proved to be a main source of fine particles over central eastern China in summer. The contribution of biomass burning to the fine particle at MT accounted for 7.56 % in spring and 36.71 % in summer, and even reached to 81.58 % on a day. As and Pb were two of the most enriched elements. The long-range transport of aerosols spread the heavy pollution from coal-mining/coal-ash to everywhere over China. Anthropogenic air-pollution was evidently rather severe at MT, though it has been declared by UNESCO to be a World Heritage site.

Abstract. PM2.5 and TSP samples were collected at the summit of Mountain Tai (MT) (1534 m a.s.l.) in spring 2006/2007 and summer 2006 to investigate the characteristics of aerosols over central eastern China. For comparison, aerosol samples were also collected at Tazhong, Urumqi, Tianchi in Xinjiang in northwestern China, Duolun and Yulin in northern China, and two urban sites in the megacities, Beijing and Shanghai, in spring 2007. Daily mass concentrations of TSP and PM2.5 ranged from 39.6–276.9 μg/m3 and 17.2–235.7 μg/m3 respectively at the summit of MT. Averaged concentrations of PM2.5 showed a pronounced seasonal variation with higher concentration in summer than spring. 17 water-soluble ions (SO42−, NO3−, Cl−, F−, PO43−, NO2−, CH3COO−, CH2C2O42−, C2H4C2O42−, HCOO−, MSA, C2O42−, NH4+, Ca2+, K+, Mg2+, Na+), and 19 elements of 176 samples from MT were measured. SO42−, NO3−, and NH4+ were the major water-soluble species in PM2.5, accounting for 61.5% and 73.8% of the total measured ions in spring and summer, respectively. The average ratio of PM2.5/TSP was 0.37(2006) and 0.49(2007) in spring, while up to 0.91 in summer, suggesting that aerosol particles were primarily comprised of fine particles in summer and of considerable coarse particles in spring. Crustal elements (e.g., Ca, Mg, Al, Fe, etc.) showed higher concentration in spring than summer, while most pollution species (SO42−, NO3−, K+, NO2−, NH4+, Cl−, organic acids, Pb, Zn, Cd, and Cr) from local/regional anthropogenic emissions and secondary formation presented higher concentration in summer. The ratio of Ca/Al and back trajectories of air mass suggested the impact of Asian dust from Gobi and deserts on the air quality in this region. The high concentration of K+ in aerosols (4.56 μg/m3) and its good correlation with black carbon (r = 0.90), oxalic acid (r = 0.87), and Cl− (r = 0.71) were due to the severe pollution from biomass burning, which was proved to be a main source of fine particles over central eastern China in summer. Biomass burning contributed 36.71% of PM2.5 in mass in summer. As and Pb were two of the most enriched elements, especially in spring both for TSP and PM2.5, which revealed that the long-range transport of aerosols spread the heavy pollution from coal burning everywhere over China. Anthropogenic aerosols at MT were evidently rather severe at MT, though it has been declared by UNESCO to be a World Heritage site.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) policies in Xinjiang since 2017 have imprisoned some 300,000 and interned approximately a million more indigenous non-Han central Asians in educational transformation camps; razed or damaged thousands of mosques, shrines, and old neighborhoods; actively suppressed indigenous birth rates far below Han levels; illegalized core elements of Uyghur and Islamic culture; and pushed tens of thousands of non-Han adults into forced factory labor and children into state institutions. The revelation of these policies has contributed to the worst crisis for foreign policy in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) since 1989. Moreover, because the CCP requires declarations of loyal support from citizens and officials for its Xinjiang policies, this also comprises a Cultural Revolution–type domestic crisis in which no one can say no to a dictatorial leader despite the clearly destructive nature of that leader’s policies.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) policies in Xinjiang since 2017 have imprisoned some 300,000 and interned approximately a million more indigenous non-Han central Asians in educational transformation camps; razed or damaged thousands of mosques, shrines, and old neighborhoods; actively suppressed indigenous birth rates far below Han levels; illegalized core elements of Uyghur and Islamic culture; and pushed tens of thousands of non-Han adults into forced factory labor and children into state institutions. The revelation of these policies has contributed to the worst crisis for foreign policy in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) since 1989. Moreover, because the CCP requires declarations of loyal support from citizens and officials for its Xinjiang policies, this also comprises a Cultural Revolution–type domestic crisis in which no one can say no to a dictatorial leader despite the clearly destructive nature of that leader’s policies.

Grazing is one of the most common causes of grassland degradation, therefore, an assessment of soil physicochemical properties and plant nutrients under grazing is important for understanding its influences on ecosystem nutrient cycling and for formulating appropriate management strategies. However, the effects of grazing on grassland soil physicochemical properties and plant nutrients in mountain meadow and temperate typical steppe in the arid regions are still unclear. Therefore, we investigated the vegetation nutrient concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (N, P, and K) as well as soil physicochemical properties in the topmost 40 cm depth soil, to evaluate how these factors respond to grazing disturbance in a mountain meadow and temperate typical steppe within a mountain basin system in arid regions. Our results revealed that the soil bulk density values at depth of 0–40 cm increased after grazing in the mountain meadow and temperate typical steppe, whereas the soil water content decreased in the mountain meadow and increased in the temperate typical steppe after grazing. In the mountain meadow, soil total N and available P in addition to vegetation N and P concentrations increased in response to high-intensity grazing, while soil available N, available K and vegetation K decreased after grazing; in addition, soil pH, soil total P and K showed no significant changes. In the temperate typical steppe, the soil total P, soil available N, P, and K, and vegetation N, P, and K increased under relatively low-intensity grazing, whereas soil pH and soil total K showed no significant changes except for the deceasing soil total N. Our findings showed the different responses of different grassland ecosystems to grazing. Moreover, we propose that further related studies are necessary to better understand the effects of grazing on grassland ecosystems, and thereby provide a theoretical basis for the sustainable use of animal husbandry and ecological restoration of grasslands.

Climate change, especially climate extremes, can increase the uncertainty of locust outbreaks. The Italian locust (Calliptamus italicus (Linnaeus, 1758)), Asian migratory locust (Locusta migratoria migratoria Linnaeus, 1758), and Siberian locust (Gomphocerus sibiricus (Linnaeus, 1767)) are common pests widely distributed in the semidesert grasslands of Central Asia and its surrounding regions. Predicting the geographic distribution changes and future habitats of locusts in the context of climate warming is essential to effectively prevent large and sudden locust outbreaks. In this study, the optimized maximum entropy (MaxEnt) model, employing a combination of climatic, soil, and topographic factors, was used to predict the potential fitness areas of typical locusts in the 2030s and 2050s, assuming four shared socioeconomic pathways (SSP126, SSP245, SSP370, and SSP585) in the CMIP6 model. Modeling results showed that the mean area under the curve (AUC) and true statistical skill (TSS) of the MaxEnt model reached 0.933 and 0.7651, respectively, indicating that the model exhibited good prediction performance. Our results showed that soil surface sand content, slope, mean precipitation during the hottest season, and precipitation seasonality were the key environmental variables affecting locust distribution in the region. The three locust species were mainly distributed in the upstream region of the Irtysh River, the Alatao Mountain region, the northern slopes of the Tianshan Mountains, around Sayram Lake, the eastern part of the Alakol Lake region, the Tekes River region, the western part of Ulungur Lake, the Ili River, and the upstream region of the Tarim River. According to several climate projections, the area of potential habitat for the three most common locust species will decrease by 3.9 × 104–4.6 × 104 km2 by the 2030s and by 6.4 × 104–10.6 × 104 km2 by the 2050s. As the climate becomes more extreme, the suitable area will shrink, but the highly suitable area will expand; thus, the risk of infestation should be taken seriously. Our study present a timely investigation to add to extensive literature currently appearing regarding the myriad ways climate change may affect species. While this naturally details a limited range of taxa, methods and potential impacts may be more broadly applicable to other locust species.

Water use efficiency can reveal the coupling relation between water dissipation and carbon sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems. The understanding the temporal and spatial dynamics of water use efficiency and its response to complex climate change is a prerequisite for dealing with future climate change and man-made disturbances. The ecological model method is considered to be an effective way to assess the carbon and water dynamics of the regional large-scale ecosystem. This study is based on the Arid Region Ecosystem Model (AEM), using site flux data to optimize, verify, and parameterize the model, so as to build a dataset of water use efficiency of the arid region ecosystems in Central Asia. The time span of this dataset is 1980-2020, involving six types of ecosystems, namely coniferous forests, broad-leaved forests, grasslands, phreatophyte shrubs, non-phreatophyte shrubs and farmland. The study region covers five Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan) and Xinjiang of China. Comparing the simulated results with the observed data, we found that they were highly consistent with each other. This dataset provides support for understanding the carbon-water dynamics of ecologically fragile areas under the background of global change and maintaining the stability of the ecosystem.

Exploring ancient socio-economic adaptation is a basic issue of human-environment interaction. Xinjiang in northwest China is a region of high geographic diversity. Past human adaptations to this arid marginal area is a current focus of research interest but still lacks in-depth study. This article presents data from the Wupu Cemetery, located in the extremely arid Hami Basin in the eastern Tianshan Mountains. Archaeobotanical analysis is used to reconstruct the local environment niche and the subsistence economy of inhabitants. Radiocarbon dating results indicate the cemetery was occupied between 3000 and 2400 cal BP, during the late Bronze Age and early Iron Age. In total 16 species of the plant remains are identified, including four cereal crops, foxtail millet ( Setaria italica), broomcorn millet ( Panicum miliaceum), naked barley ( Hordeum vulgare var. coeleste), wheat ( Triticum aestivum) and 12 wild types. The riparian plant Populus euphratica and aquatic plant Typha sp. indicate inhabitants lived in an oasis near the cemetery. Environmental interpretation of this data compares well with other seven sites in arid southern Xinjiang. In addition to faunal remains from the site, it is assumed that a flexible system of multi-crop farming and herding was the subsistence pattern around Wupu. This system was widespread across Inner Asia and appears to have played a central role in adapting to different marginal environments during the Bronze Age and Iron Age.

The curtain rose. The howling of desert wind filled the performance hall in the Shanghai Grand Theatre. Into the center stage, where a scenic construction of a mountain cliff and a desert landscape was dimly lit, entered the character of the Daoist priest Wang Yuanlu (1849–1931), performed by Chen Yizong. Dressed in a worn and dusty outfit of dark blue cotton, characteristic of Daoist priests, Wang began to sweep the floor. After a few moments, he discovered a hidden chambre sealed inside one of the rock sanctuaries carved into the cliff.Signaled by the quick, crystalline, stirring wave of sound from the chimes, a melodious Chinese ocarina solo joined in slowly from the background. Astonished by thousands of Buddhist sūtra scrolls, wall paintings, and sculptures he had just accidentally discovered in the caves, Priest Wang set his broom aside and began to examine these treasures. Dawn had not yet arrived, and the desert sky was pitch-black. Priest Wang held his oil lamp high, strode rhythmically in excitement, sat crossed-legged in a meditative pose, and unfolded a scroll. The sound of the ocarina became fuller and richer and the texture of the music more complex, as several other instruments joined in.Below is the opening scene of the award-winning, theatrical dance-drama Dunhuang, My Dreamland, created by China’s state-sponsored Lanzhou Song and Dance Theatre in 2000. Figure 1a: Poster Side A of Dunhuang, My Dreamland Figure 1b: Poster Side B of Dunhuang, My DreamlandThe scene locates the dance-drama in the rock sanctuaries that today are known as the Dunhuang Mogao Caves, housing Buddhist art accumulated over a period of a thousand years, one of the best well-known UNESCO heritages on the Silk Road. Historically a frontier metropolis, Dunhuang was a strategic site along the Silk Road in northwestern China, a crossroads of trade, and a locus for religious, cultural, and intellectual influences since the Han dynasty (206 B.C.E.–220 C.E.). Travellers, especially Buddhist monks from India and central Asia, passing through Dunhuang on their way to Chang’an (present day Xi’an), China’s ancient capital, would stop to meditate in the Mogao Caves and consult manuscripts in the monastery's library. At the same time, Chinese pilgrims would travel by foot from China through central Asia to Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, playing a key role in the exchanges between ancient China and the outside world. Travellers from China would stop to acquire provisions at Dunhuang before crossing the Gobi Desert to continue on their long journey abroad. Figure 2: Dunhuang Mogao CavesThis article approaches the idea of “abroad” by examining the present-day imagination of journeys along the Silk Road—specifically, staged performances of the various Silk Road journey-themed dance-dramas sponsored by the Chinese state for enhancing its cultural and foreign policies since the 1970s (Kuang).As ethnomusicologists have demonstrated, musicians, choreographers, and playwrights often utilise historical materials in their performances to construct connections between the past and the present (Bohlman; Herzfeld; Lam; Rees; Shelemay; Tuohy; Wade; Yung: Rawski; Watson). The ancient Silk Road, which linked the Mediterranean coast with central China and beyond, via oasis towns such as Samarkand, has long been associated with the concept of “journeying abroad.” Journeys to distant, foreign lands and encounters of unknown, mysterious cultures along the Silk Road have been documented in historical records, such as A Record of Buddhist Kingdoms (Faxian) and The Great Tang Records on the Western Regions (Xuanzang), and illustrated in classical literature, such as The Travels of Marco Polo (Polo) and the 16th century Chinese novel Journey to the West (Wu). These journeys—coming and going from multiple directions and to different destinations—have inspired contemporary staged performance for audiences around the globe.Home and Abroad: Dunhuang and the Silk RoadDunhuang, My Dreamland (2000), the contemporary dance-drama, staged the journey of a young pilgrim painter travelling from Chang’an to a land of the unfamiliar and beyond borders, in search for the arts that have inspired him. Figure 3: A scene from Dunhuang, My Dreamland showing the young pilgrim painter in the Gobi Desert on the ancient Silk RoadFar from his home, he ended his journey in Dunhuang, historically considered the northwestern periphery of China, well beyond Yangguan and Yumenguan, the bordering passes that separate China and foreign lands. Later scenes in Dunhuang, My Dreamland, portrayed through multiethnic music and dances, the dynamic interactions among merchants, cultural and religious envoys, warriors, and politicians that were making their own journey from abroad to China. The theatrical dance-drama presents a historically inspired, re-imagined vision of both “home” and “abroad” to its audiences as they watch the young painter travel along the Silk Road, across the Gobi Desert, arriving at his own ideal, artistic “homeland”, the Dunhuang Mogao Caves. Since his journey is ultimately a spiritual one, the conceptualisation of travelling “abroad” could also be perceived as “a journey home.”Staged more than four hundred times since it premiered in Beijing in April 2000, Dunhuang, My Dreamland is one of the top ten titles in China’s National Stage Project and one of the most successful theatrical dance-dramas ever produced in China. With revenue of more than thirty million renminbi (RMB), it ranks as the most profitable theatrical dance-drama ever produced in China, with a preproduction cost of six million RMB. The production team receives financial support from China’s Ministry of Culture for its “distinctive ethnic features,” and its “aim to promote traditional Chinese culture,” according to Xu Rong, an official in the Cultural Industry Department of the Ministry. Labeled an outstanding dance-drama of the Chinese nation, it aims to present domestic and international audiences with a vision of China as a historically multifaceted and cosmopolitan nation that has been in close contact with the outside world through the ancient Silk Road. Its production company has been on tour in selected cities throughout China and in countries abroad, including Austria, Spain, and France, literarily making the young pilgrim painter’s “journey along the Silk Road” a new journey abroad, off stage and in reality.Dunhuang, My Dreamland was not the first, nor is it the last, staged performances that portrays the Chinese re-imagination of “journeying abroad” along the ancient Silk Road. It was created as one of many versions of Dunhuang bihua yuewu, a genre of music, dance, and dramatic performances created in the early twentieth century and based primarily on artifacts excavated from the Mogao Caves (Kuang). “The Mogao Caves are the greatest repository of early Chinese art,” states Mimi Gates, who works to increase public awareness of the UNESCO site and raise funds toward its conservation. “Located on the Chinese end of the Silk Road, it also is the place where many cultures of the world intersected with one another, so you have Greek and Roman, Persian and Middle Eastern, Indian and Chinese cultures, all interacting. Given the nature of our world today, it is all very relevant” (Pollack). As an expressive art form, this genre has been thriving since the late 1970s contributing to the global imagination of China’s “Silk Road journeys abroad” long before Dunhuang, My Dreamland achieved its domestic and international fame. For instance, in 2004, The Thousand-Handed and Thousand-Eyed Avalokiteśvara—one of the most representative (and well-known) Dunhuang bihua yuewu programs—was staged as a part of the cultural program during the Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece. This performance, as well as other Dunhuang bihua yuewu dance programs was the perfect embodiment of a foreign religion that arrived in China from abroad and became Sinicized (Kuang). Figure 4: Mural from Dunhuang Mogao Cave No. 45A Brief History of Staging the Silk Road JourneysThe staging of the Silk Road journeys abroad began in the late 1970s. Historically, the Silk Road signifies a multiethnic, cosmopolitan frontier, which underwent incessant conflicts between Chinese sovereigns and nomadic peoples (as well as between other groups), but was strongly imbued with the customs and institutions of central China (Duan, Mair, Shi, Sima). In the twentieth century, when China was no longer an empire, but had become what the early 20th-century reformer Liang Qichao (1873–1929) called “a nation among nations,” the long history of the Silk Road and the colourful, legendary journeys abroad became instrumental in the formation of a modern Chinese nation of unified diversity rooted in an ancient cosmopolitan past. The staged Silk Road theme dance-dramas thus participate in this formation of the Chinese imagination of “nation” and “abroad,” as they aestheticise Chinese history and geography. History and geography—aspects commonly considered constituents of a nation as well as our conceptualisations of “abroad”—are “invariably aestheticized to a certain degree” (Bakhtin 208). Diverse historical and cultural elements from along the Silk Road come together in this performance genre, which can be considered the most representative of various possible stagings of the history and culture of the Silk Road journeys.In 1979, the Chinese state officials in Gansu Province commissioned the benchmark dance-drama Rain of Flowers along the Silk Road, a spectacular theatrical dance-drama praising the pure and noble friendship which existed between the peoples of China and other countries in the Tang dynasty (618-907 C.E.). While its plot also revolves around the Dunhuang Caves and the life of a painter, staged at one of the most critical turning points in modern Chinese history, the work as a whole aims to present the state’s intention of re-establishing diplomatic ties with the outside world after the Cultural Revolution. Unlike Dunhuang, My Dreamland, it presents a nation’s journey abroad and home. To accomplish this goal, Rain of Flowers along the Silk Road introduces the fictional character Yunus, a wealthy Persian merchant who provides the audiences a vision of the historical figure of Peroz III, the last Sassanian prince, who after the Arab conquest of Iran in 651 C.E., found refuge in China. By incorporating scenes of ethnic and folk dances, the drama then stages the journey of painter Zhang’s daughter Yingniang to Persia (present-day Iran) and later, Yunus’s journey abroad to the Tang dynasty imperial court as the Persian Empire’s envoy.Rain of Flowers along the Silk Road, since its debut at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People on the first of October 1979 and shortly after at the Theatre La Scala in Milan, has been staged in more than twenty countries and districts, including France, Italy, Japan, Thailand, Russia, Latvia, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and recently, in 2013, at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York.“The Road”: Staging the Journey TodayWithin the contemporary context of global interdependencies, performing arts have been used as strategic devices for social mobilisation and as a means to represent and perform modern national histories and foreign policies (Davis, Rees, Tian, Tuohy, Wong, David Y. H. Wu). The Silk Road has been chosen as the basis for these state-sponsored, extravagantly produced, and internationally staged contemporary dance programs. In 2008, the welcoming ceremony and artistic presentation at the Olympic Games in Beijing featured twenty apsara dancers and a Dunhuang bihua yuewu dancer with long ribbons, whose body was suspended in mid-air on a rectangular LED extension held by hundreds of performers; on the giant LED screen was a depiction of the ancient Silk Road.In March 2013, Chinese president Xi Jinping introduced the initiatives “Silk Road Economic Belt” and “21st Century Maritime Silk Road” during his journeys abroad in Kazakhstan and Indonesia. These initiatives are now referred to as “One Belt, One Road.” The State Council lists in details the policies and implementation plans for this initiative on its official web page, www.gov.cn. In April 2013, the China Institute in New York launched a yearlong celebration, starting with "Dunhuang: Buddhist Art and the Gateway of the Silk Road" with a re-creation of one of the caves and a selection of artifacts from the site. In March 2015, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China’s top economic planning agency, released a new action plan outlining key details of the “One Belt, One Road” initiative. Xi Jinping has made the program a centrepiece of both his foreign and domestic economic policies. One of the central economic strategies is to promote cultural industry that could enhance trades along the Silk Road.Encouraged by the “One Belt, One Road” policies, in March 2016, The Silk Princess premiered in Xi’an and was staged at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing the following July. While Dunhuang, My Dreamland and Rain of Flowers along the Silk Road were inspired by the Buddhist art found in Dunhuang, The Silk Princess, based on a story about a princess bringing silk and silkworm-breeding skills to the western regions of China in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) has a different historical origin. The princess's story was portrayed in a woodblock from the Tang Dynasty discovered by Sir Marc Aurel Stein, a British archaeologist during his expedition to Xinjiang (now Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region) in the early 19th century, and in a temple mural discovered during a 2002 Chinese-Japanese expedition in the Dandanwulike region. Figure 5: Poster of The Silk PrincessIn January 2016, the Shannxi Provincial Song and Dance Troupe staged The Silk Road, a new theatrical dance-drama. Unlike Dunhuang, My Dreamland, the newly staged dance-drama “centers around the ‘road’ and the deepening relationship merchants and travellers developed with it as they traveled along its course,” said Director Yang Wei during an interview with the author. According to her, the show uses seven archetypes—a traveler, a guard, a messenger, and so on—to present the stories that took place along this historic route. Unbounded by specific space or time, each of these archetypes embodies the foreign-travel experience of a different group of individuals, in a manner that may well be related to the social actors of globalised culture and of transnationalism today. Figure 6: Poster of The Silk RoadConclusionAs seen in Rain of Flowers along the Silk Road and Dunhuang, My Dreamland, staging the processes of Silk Road journeys has become a way of connecting the Chinese imagination of “home” with the Chinese imagination of “abroad.” Staging a nation’s heritage abroad on contemporary stages invites a new imagination of homeland, borders, and transnationalism. Once aestheticised through staged performances, such as that of the Dunhuang bihua yuewu, the historical and topological landscape of Dunhuang becomes a performed narrative, embodying the national heritage.The staging of Silk Road journeys continues, and is being developed into various forms, from theatrical dance-drama to digital exhibitions such as the Smithsonian’s Pure Land: Inside the Mogao Grottes at Dunhuang (Stromberg) and the Getty’s Cave Temples of Dunhuang: Buddhist Art on China's Silk Road (Sivak and Hood). 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