The year 2022 marks the 30th anniversary of China-Uzbekistan diplomatic ties. For Wang Jianxin, an archaeologist in Shaanxi Province who is a leading figure in China s research on ancient civilizations in Central Asia, the occasion is extremely special as he spent two decades following Western Han Dynasty (206BC-AD25) diplomat Zhang Qian s westward path along the ancient Silk Road, which gave Wang a unique perspective on China-Uzbekistan cultural exchanges.