A Commercial People on the Silk Road – The Sogdians: Past and Present

The Sogdians were a people thriving on the ancient Silk Road, renowned for their talents in business. From the third to the ninth century, the Sogdians mainly settled along the Zerafshan River between the Amu River and Syr River in Central Asia, rushing here and there for fortunes. They were bound by nothing and hence the reputation of a truly business people. The Sogdians are the middlemen between the eastern and western cultures, shoudering the major responsibilities of cultural ambassadors. The Talk attempts to investigate the true pictures of the Sogdians and their contributions to the cultural exchange between the East and the West from the historical perspectives of the Sino-foreign relations and cultural exchange.

Please refer to Chinese version for details.