Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c11.16

v2.c11.16

in northeast India. Yunnan-Burma channel has been opened before Zhang Qian's diplomatic mission to the Western Regions and it is a very important channel with superior natural conditions and relative safety. South China Sea channel is also called Marine Silk Road. It starts from Guangzhou and Quanzhou in the southeast coast of China, via Strait of Malacca, Malaysia, leads to Tamil Nadu in southern India. This channel has been opened in Western Han Dynasty, making up for the deficiency of the India-China land traffic. Tang Dynasty-Tubo (Tibetan regime in ancient China) channel starts from Chang’an, via Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and across the Himalayas and leads to Nepal and India. These four channels have even made lasting and significant contributions to India-China traffic and art exchange in history. These are still playing an important role today.