Abstract: From the late 19th century to the early 20th century,some European explorers and orientalists began their expenditures in Central Asia,discovering the Silk Roads as an ancient East-West trade route,and that commenced the historical narration and research mode from the perspective of the “Roads”,which means the Oriental Studies in Europe entered the stage of field investigation from the translation and interpretation of historical documents,and thus brought about changes in the research methods.In the subsequent studies,the nature of the Silk Roads as the Roads of China and Roads of the East was objectively revealed,showing their characteristics in cultural communication.In recent years,some scholars have used and generalized the concept of Silk Roads in the descriptions and studies on the contemporary world economy,which puts forward the idea of New Silk Roads or composes a new history of it.To a large extent,it echoes China's Belt and Road Initiative,showing that the researchers have moved from historical studies to practical concerns.Therefore,an analysis of the model and characteristics of Silk Roads studies in Western academic circles will help us understand the broad international background and profound historical origins of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Key words: Oriental Studies, Silk Roads, studies on Silk Roads