During the Han and Jin dynasties, there are indications that the Hu may have traveled south through the Qinghai Road to the Chengdu Plain. As the Sichuan region was a non-ruling center, the reason why the Hu people entered Shu may be related to commercial interests. Historical records show that long before Zhang Qian's mission to the Western Regions, there were already people-to-people exchanges between Daxia and Shu. Although there is no conclusive evidence of the specific trade routes and the identity of the merchants, the Hu people's trading activities may have existed before Zhang Qian opened the Western Regions. Some scholars believe that these commercial activities were probably realized through transit, which laid the foundation for the Sogdians to open up a route to China later.
The trade route from Yizhou to the Western Regions has a long history and is similar to the Hexi Corridor. It is a well-known fact that Zhang Qian saw Shu products in Bactria and although this route was not so prominent later, it became the main road to the Western Regions during the Northern and Southern Dynasties, and built a bridge between the Southern Dynasties and the Western Regions for political, economic and cultural exchanges.
During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, Zhuge Liang received envoys from the kings of Liangzhou and the Marquis of Kangjuhu, who were likely immigrants from Central Asia, and whose leaders may have been Sogdian leaders in Liangzhou, Zhangye, Jiuquan, and even Dunhuang, indicating the connection between the Southern Dynasties and the Sogdians.
He Tuo and his nephew He Chou were active merchants during the Southern Dynasties, and their family may have been a Sogdian merchant Hu from the Western Regions. He Chou, with his expertise, was appreciated by the emperor for making brocade robes decorated with money and jewels at the court.
The activities of the Sogdians in Sichuan were not limited to commerce and trade, but also involved religion and culture. There may have been Sogdian settlements in Pixian County, and related to this are traces of Zoroastrianism and the process of sinicization of Sogdian merchants.
The Kangjuhu people, such as Seng Xian and Shi Mingda, were also active in Sichuan during the Northern and Southern Dynasties, and they traveled between Wu and Shu, possibly taking advantage of the trade route from Qinghai to Minshu. It is likely that these Hu people entered the Sichuan Basin via Henan Province.
During the Southern Dynasties, Bashu became an important area for the Hu people's commerce. King Wuling developed his economy through his contacts with the countries of the Western Regions. Sogdian merchants may have been mainly engaged in the transit of silk such as Shu brocade**.
Silk products from Shu may have been transported to the Western Regions via the route from Qinghai to Minshu, becoming a link on the Sogdians' Silk Road.
Evidence shows that the Sogdians were not only active in Sichuan, but also maintained close ties with places such as the western part of the country and Xinjiang. Their activities along the upper Indus River show that they were one of the leading merchant peoples along this important transportation route.
In summary, the Sogdians were active in southwest China during the Northern and Southern Dynasties, and their commercial and trade activities not only promoted regional economic development, but also played an important role in cultural exchanges. This rich and colorful history bears witness to the ancient connection between China and the Western Regions, and provides important clues for today's cultural heritage protection and archaeological research.