During the Han Dynasty, the nomard tribe, Xiongnu
was a constant threat on the north western frontier of China. In 139 BC,
Emperor Han Wudi sent Zhang Qian as an envoy to seek allies among the states
beyong the Xiongnu. Although Zhang Qian failed in his main aim, his extraordinary
journeys took him as far as Bactria and Ferghana (modern Turkestan) and
he returned with valuable information about the states of Central Asia
and hearsay about the distant Roman empire.
Zhang Jian, was a great traveller. There
were many legends about his exploits. One of which was that he discovered
the source of the Yellow river which was supposed to be linked to
the Milky Way. He ascended to the Milky Way and met the spinning
Damsel. He is frequently shown as floating on the Yellow River
on a log-raft. |
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