The Silk Road served as bridge of trade between the hinterland of China and the countries in the western region in ancient times. The Silk Road on land starts from Chang'an (Xi'an today) and reaches the eastern coast of the Mediterranean. It can be divided into three parts within the Chinese territory: the eastern section between Chang'an and Liangzhou (today's Wuwei in Gansu), the middle section of the Hexi Corridor, and the western section in Xinjiang, stretching 2,000 kilometers.