Semantics of the concept “Silk Road” in the historiographical discourse of China and Russia in the 20th century

Abstract

The article considers the emergence and formation of the linguistic and cultural concept “Silk Road,” the most important one in Chinese culture. Based on the analysis of Chinese media texts, four stages of the concept’s development were identified: its emergence in the 1930–40s, its development in the 1950–70s, its symbolic reinterpretation in the era of the “policy of openness,” and its polyphonic sound in the late 20th century. Interestingly enough, this concept penetrated China from the West, but it was deeply rooted in and became a symbol of China, expressing a high appreciation of its civilizational contribution to the Treasury of humanity.

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List of sample sources

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