Hexi Corridor
/ˈhɛk.si ˈkɔːr.ɪ.dɔːr/noun
A historic geographic corridor in north-central China running westward from the Yellow River toward Central Asia.
Did you know?The Hexi Corridor contains Dunhuang’s Mogao Caves, where merchants and pilgrims helped preserve thousands of Buddhist manuscripts and paintings along the ancient Silk Road.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Chinese
Chinese
河西
“West of the river; the region west of the Yellow River”
Han Dynasty, 2nd century BCE
Chinese
河西走廊
“The Hexi Corridor, a strategic passage west of the Yellow River”
16th century
Italian
corridore
“A passage or gallery, literally associated with running”
16th century
French
corridor
“A passageway, borrowed from Italian”
16th century onward
English
corridor
“An interior passage or narrow route”
Modern English
English
Hexi Corridor
“The established English name for the historic Chinese route and geographical region”