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Exhibition unveils China's ancient "state highway" in Qin Dynasty

Xinhua, October 26, 2016 Adjust font size:

The first public exhibition about an ancient road built during the Qin Dynasty 2,000 years ago opened in northwest China's Shaanxi Province on Wednesday.

The photo exhibition aims to showcase the archeological excavation and preservation made by the Shaanxi provincial cultural relics department after they surveyed the 750-km road, which was built during the reign of Qin Shihuang, China's first emperor.

The road has been dubbed as China's earliest "state highway."

A lengthy highway, the road starts from present-day Xuyi County in Shaanxi, passes through Gansu Province and finishes in Erdos, northern China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

Experts say the road, which goes through plains and mountains, was built for military maneuvers to help defend against nomadic ethnic groups from the north of the country during the Qin Dynasty (221 BC - 206 BC).

As the road continued to be used during the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD), it gradually began to play more of a role as a trade route, similar to the ancient Silk Road in how it facilitated trade and cultural exchanges.

The Shaanxi cultural relics department has made a comprehensive archeological and protection plan along the ruins of the road.

The exhibition, which charges no admission fee and will be open until Nov. 25, aims to raise public awareness about the preservation of relics along the route. Endi