Anyone who has an interest in Dunhuang will have heard of Fan Jinshi. The Chinese archaeologist     1     has spent more than half a century researching and preserving the caves at the heart of the ancient Silk Road in Gansu Province     2     (know) as the “Daughter of Dunhuang” in her field, though “protector is probably a more fitting     3     (describe).

Fan has been studying the historical site since the early 1960s, first as an archaeology undergraduate from Peking University, then as a conservationist when she     4     (become) the deputy director of the Dunhunag Research Academy in 1984, which serves to prevent the ancient site from     5     (destroy).

“It is over a thousand years old. It is an old person, an     6     (extreme) weak old person. It has     7     (variety) illness. If you are a little careless, it could be gone. Gone forever,” Fan says.

Today, thanks     8     the work of great archaeologists such as Fan, Dunhuang is proud of the world’s largest and best-reserved collection of Buddhist relics     9     (date) from the fifth to the 13th centuries. The main Mogao site is made up of 735 caves spread across a 1,700.metre-wide cliff face, containing 45,000 square metres of murals (壁画)     10     more than 2,000 colorful sculptures (雕塑).

Yin Xu, also known as the Ruins of Yin, is one of the oldest and largest archaeological sites (考古遗址) in China, which has also been confirmed     1     the first site of a capital in Chinese history.

Around 1300 B.C., the     2     (twenty) king of the Shang dynasty, Pan Geng, moved his capital to Yin. He built a prosperous and stable city,     3     (exist) through eight generations and twelve kings for 255 years. It created the brilliant Yin-Shang Civilization,     4     is of priceless value in terms of history, culture, art and science. Under the Zhou dynasty, Yin was left to fall into ruin. Afterwards, the once-great city of Yin passed into silence until its rediscovery in 1899.

    5     (locate) in the northwest of Anyang, Henan province, Yin Xu has two main sites, covering     6     area of 30,000 square kilometers. Yin Xu conveys the     7     (society) life of the late Shang dynasty, reflecting highly developed science and architectural technology including bronze casting (铸铜) and a calendar system. This great discovery helped to track recorded Chinese history nearly one thousand years earlier. Yin Xu     8     (add) to the World Cultural Heritage List in 2006. Not     9     (surprise), it stands first on the list of China’s 100 major archaeological     10     (discover) in last century.

3 . Beginning with Chinese efforts to explore and connect with Central Asia, the Silk Road consisted of massive small routes and was named after the silk cloth the Chinese produced.     1     Through these routes, Chinese silk, porcelain, lacquer work and ironware were shipped to the West, while pepper, flax, spices, grape and pomegranate entered China.

    2     They promoted flow of knowledge as well. Arab astronomy, calendar and medicine found their way to China, while China’s four great inventions and silkworm breeding spread to other parts of the world.     3     For example, Buddhism originated in India, blossomed in China and was enriched in Southeast Asia. Confucianism, which was born in China, gained appreciation by European thinkers such as Leibniz and Voltaire. Herein lies the appeal of mutual learning.

The ancient silk routes witnessed the busy scenes of visits and trade over land and ships calling at ports. Along these major routes, capital, technology and people flowed freely.     4     The ancient prosperous cities and ports developed, so did the Roman Empire as well as Parthia and Kushan Kingdoms. The Han and Tang Dynasties of China entered the golden age. The ancient silk routes brought prosperity to these regions and contributed to their development.

Some regions along the ancient Silk Road used to be a land of milk and honey. Yet today, these places are often associated with conflict, crisis and challenge.     5     Now, the Belt and Road Initiative intends to build an open platform of cooperation and a broad community of shared interests. It will not only achieve economic growth and balanced development, but also connect different civilizations. Mutual understanding, mutual respect, and mutual trust among different countries will be boosted.