Since President Xi Jinping proposed the Belt and Road Initiative, which includes the Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, in 2013, more than 60 countries along the ancient trade routes have echoed the initiative and worked out their own strategies to push forward its implementation.

The ancient Silk Road is not only a trade route but also a road of friendship that promoted cultural exchanges and shared knowledge among civilizations, said top legislator Zhang Dejiang in May.

This year, China will host the first International Cooperation Summit Forum on the Belt and Road Initiative, which Xi said will offer a platform for the countries to conduct candid exchanges and bring together their wisdom.

The event will support joint venture projects and inject vigor into the regional and global economies, said Foreign Minister Wang Yi at a seminar in December.

1. Yueya Spring in Dunhuang, Gansu province. The Silk Road (Dunhuang) International Cultural Expo was held in the city on Sept 20 and 21.  Chen Bin / Xinhua

2. Children listen to music at an exhibition featuring the Silk Road at a subway station on Line 4 in Beijing in June. Luo Xiaoguang / Xinhua

3 People visit a stone materials store in Nan'an, Fujian province, in November. The city has sped up the transformation of its stone material industry by pushing forward projects in countries along the Belt and Road routes. Song Weiwei / Xinhua