Back in the Tang Dynasty,the Silk Road extended eastward to Japan,making it the east end of the transcontinental route for exchanges of people and commodities.In September,with the opportunity presented by the China-Japan Silk Road Calligraphy and Seal-Cutting Exhibition,we took 11professional and amateur calligraphers and seal-cutting artists,all older than60 years,on a trip to Gansu province to savor the ancient road.