Site of an ancient Silk Road relay station in Xinjiang. [Photo by Huang Huo/For China Daily/Kong History Museum]

Then came September 2013, when, during a state visit to Kazakhstan, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced his determination to revive the Silk Road, to extend it and to imbue it with a whole new meaning, against the backdrop of greater global connectivity.

More than 80 countries and organizations have signed up to the initiative, dubbed the Belt and Road Initiative (Belt refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt, one whose history this article has mainly dealt with, and the Road refers to the 21st century Maritime Silk Road, several sea routes developed simultaneously in history with the terrestrial one). It has also resulted in China forging a series of bilateral partnerships with the signing countries, particularly related to trade and infrastructure.

Last May nearly 30 heads of state and government as well as 1,200 delegates from countries across the world descended on Beijing for the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. The value of trade between China and Belt and Road countries reached 7.4 trillion yuan ($1.17 trillion) last year, rising by 17.8 percent year-on-year, China's Ministry of Commerce says.