The Loulan Beauty has distinct Caucasian features： light-colored hair and steep nose bridge. She has long hair and is only 5.2 feet tall. Archaeologists also found colorful painted and cross-hatched coffins that looked like new. Archaeologists believe that the area’s residents were both Mongolians and Caucasians. But how the Caucasians came to Western China thousands of years ago and then suddenly disappeared remained a mystery.
楼兰美女：外观精致，皮肤姣好
毫无疑问，在楼兰的最伟大发现便是于1980年发现的楼兰女木乃伊。此遗物由于保存完好、外观精致、皮肤姣好而赢得了“楼兰美女”这一美称。专家证实，该女子生活在大约3800年前。后来，更多类似的木乃伊被发掘，这也反映了该地区特有的干燥天气是尸体得以保存的重要原因。1998年，在该地区又出土了一具约4000年前死亡但却得以保存完好的婴儿尸体，以及另一具1500年前去世的老年男性遗体。
楼兰美女的面貌具有明显的高加索人特点：浅色的头发和陡峭的鼻梁，她头发修长，身高只有5.2英尺。考古人员还发现了五颜六色的划上交叉阴影线的棺材，这些棺材看起来像新的一样。考古学家认为，这个地区的居民既有蒙古人又有高加索人，但是高加索人如何在千百年前来到中国西部地区又为何突然消失，却仍然是一个谜。
The story of Zhang Qian"s Mission to the Western Regions
Zhang Qian was born in Chenggu district just east of Hanzhong in the north central province of Shanxi， China. He entered the capital， Chang"an， today"s Xi"an， between 140 BC and 134 BC as a Gentleman， serving Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty.
At the time the nomadic Xiongnu tribes controlled what is now Inner Mongolia and dominated the Western Regions， the areas neighbouring the territory of the Han Dynasty. The Han emperor was interested in establishing commercial ties with distant lands but outside contact was prevented by the hostile Xiongnu.
The Han court dispatched Zhang Qian， a military officer who was familiar with the Xiongnu， to the Western Regions in 138 BC with a group of ninety-nine members to make contact and build an alliance with the Yuezhi against the Xiongnu. He was accompanied by a guide named Ganfu， a Xiongnu who had been captured in war. The objective of Zhang Qian"s first mission was to seek a military alliance with the Yuezhi， in modern Tajikistan.
However to get to the territory of the Yuezhi he was forced to pass through land controlled by the Xiongnu who captured him （as well as Ganfu） and enslaved him for ten years. During this time he married a Xiongnu wife， who bore him a son， and gained the trust of the Xiongnu leader.
The Zhang Qian family and Ganfu were eventually able to escape and， passing Lop Nor and following the northern edge of the Tarim Basin， around the Kunlun Mountains and through small fortified areas in the middle of oases in what is now Xinjiang until they made their way to Dayuan and eventually to the land of the Yuezhi.
The Yuezhi were agricultural people who produced strong horses and many unknown crops including alfalfa for animal fodder. However， the Yuezhi were too settled to desire war against the Xiongnu.
Zhang spent a year in Yuezhi and the adjacent Bactrian territory， documenting their cultures， lifestyles and economy， before beginning his return trip to China， this time following the southern edge of the Tarim Basin.
On his return trip he was again captured by the Xiongnu who again spared his life because they valued his sense of duty and composure in the face of death.
Two years later the Xiongnu leader died and in the midst of chaos and infighting， Zhang Qian escaped. Of the original mission of just over a hundred men， only Zhang Qian and Ganfu managed to return to China.
Zhang Qian returned in 125 BC with detailed news for the Emperor， showing that sophisticated civilizations existed to the West， with which China could advantageously develop relations.
The Shiji relates that "the Emperor learned of the Dayuan， Daxia， Anxi， and the others， all great states rich in unusual products whose people cultivated the land and made their living in much the same way as the Chinese. All these states， he was told， were militarily weak and prized Han goods and wealth".
Upon Zhang Qian"s return to China he was honoured with a position of palace counselor. Although he was unable to develop commercial ties between China and these far-off lands， his efforts did eventually result in trade mission to the Wu-sun people in 119 BC which led to trade between China and Persia.
On his mission Zhang Qian had noticed products from an area now known as northern India. His main task was to find a trade route not obstructed by the Xiongnu to India.
Zhang Qian set out on a second mission to forge a route from China to India via Sichuan， but after many attempts this effort proved unsuccessful. In 119-115 BC Zhang Qian was sent on a third mission by the emperor， to develop ties with the Wusun people.
张骞出使西域的故事
张骞出生于中国山西省中北部汉中以东的城固地区。他公元前140年至公元前134年间，进入首都长安，也即今天的西安，在汉朝武帝时期任职为郎。
