see the ideological foundations of the new silk road a longing for the past grandeur and superiority over the west that was taken for granted by china's rulers for thousands of years. our trek continues following the path of this mega project that china plans to extend halfway around the globe. we passed the jade gate the past that was once at the frontier where china ended and central asia began. the tang dynasty poet wang wei once wrote if you go further west you will see no more friends. for centuries china's harbors have been its gateways to the world and those