During the Western Han Dynasty, there was a powerful nomadic people-Xiongnu, who lived on the grassland in northern China. At that time, the Huns exercised unified jurisdiction over the whole northern region and the western regions, but inadvertently created conditions for the formation of a unified situation throughout the country. In order to consolidate his rule and eliminate the threat of Xiongnu, Liu Che, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, prepared to unite with the Western Regions and completely defeat Xiongnu. To this end, he sent Zhang Qian to the Western Regions twice to strengthen ties with the Huns. Zhang Qian lived up to his mission. His two missions helped the Central Plains deepen their understanding of the Western Regions, strengthened the political, economic and military ties between the Western Regions and the Central Plains, and expanded the influence of the Han Dynasty in the Western Regions. Finally, the Han Dynasty defeated the Huns to unify the western regions and established the capital of the western regions, which marked that the western regions became an inalienable part of the motherland.
The appearance of the Silk Road has greatly promoted the further development of social economy in the western region. With the deepening of economic and cultural exchanges between the East and the West, various technologies in the western region have developed to varying degrees, and handicraft industry, wool textile, pottery making and jade processing technologies have reached a fairly high level. After the prosperous Sui and Tang Dynasties, the Qing Dynasty further strengthened the unification of the western regions. In the twenty-four years of Qianlong, the western regions were changed to "Xinjiang", indicating the new return of their native land.
From the unification of the western regions in the Han Dynasty to the rule of Xinjiang in the Qing Dynasty, Xinjiang's social economy made unprecedented progress and development in the Qing Dynasty. However, after the first Opium War, the national strength of the Qing Dynasty declined, and the road was at an end. Russia and other countries coveted Xinjiang, which is located in the northwest border of the motherland, and began to occupy our territory, forcing the Qing government to sign the Sino-Russian Beijing Treaty and other unequal treaties that humiliated the country. On the one hand, the Qing government sent troops to Xinjiang to smash the aggression plot, on the other hand, it sent envoys to negotiate with Russia. After many twists and turns, it signed the Sino-Russian Ili Treaty. Russian troops withdrew from Ili at the expense of China paying reparations to Russia, Russian businessmen not paying Xinjiang trade tax, and Russia setting up a consul in Xinjiang.
Xinjiang is located in the traffic artery of the ancient Silk Road. The history of more than 2,000 years has created many cultural relics and unique natural landscapes in Xinjiang, and created a splendid ancient western civilization. This is a beautiful and rich place with rich ethnic customs in the territory of China. Xinjiang is the first region in China to accept Buddhism. Buddhism has flourished here for thousands of years, leaving many Buddhist grottoes for future generations. The most famous site of Thousand Buddha Cave not only provides valuable information for studying and understanding ancient religions, history and paintings, but also becomes a tourist attraction that tourists yearn for.