Preface Rome and Chang'an:Two Respective Ends of the Silk Road CHAPTER ONE DECODING CIVILIZATION The Eternal City Roman Letters and Chinese Characters Gentlemen and Heroes I Want to Fly Higher Harmony between Man and Heaven The Journey of Chinese Papermaking to the West Poetic Chang'an vs. Artistic Rome Who Wrote History Childhood of Mankind A Tale of Two Cities CHAPTER TWO SOCIAL LIFE Home Sweet Home Ride of Life A Millennia-old Link between Ancient and Modern Soccer Grand Pageants "Top Priority" in Life Human's Best Friend Bathhouses in the Past Singing While Drinking Spark of Wisdom Knowledge about Timing CHAPTER THREE ANCIENT ARTS Musical Legends on the Silk Road The Sound of Solemnity Teaching and Learning The Magic of Theater Once-in-a-Lifetime Melody Dynamic Dance Harmony in Music Folk Ballads Folk Art Masters In Search of the Origin of Turandot CHAPTER FOUR TRADE ALONG THE SILK ROAD A Millennium-old Legend Connecting the East and the West The Secret of Sericulture Silk: A Luxury Commodity in Ancient Rome The Spread of Sericulture Buying and Selling Wisdom of Management Currency Exchange Commercial Real Estate Development Merchants along the Silk Road Ships on the Silk Road CHAPTER FIVE MILITARY MERITS Road to Mighty Dagger-axes and Swords The Time for Archers Light Armor vs. Heavy Armor Attack vs. Defense Battlefield vs. Racetrack Rewards for Heroes Logistics Support Military Messaging The Rise of Great Powers Experts on Chang 'an Meets Rome