Adam Lustig3/13/14Story 9-2Rough draft/Research paperThe similarities and differences between New York City and Chang'anIt is interesting to note that two cities further apart 7,000 miles away from each other, and in completely different time periods, they could have so many similarities. The city of Chang'an in China during the Tang Dynasty was organized in a grid pattern similar to that of modern New York City. Flourishing trade was of great importance to the development of both cities, but very different political systems were used to govern them. Modern New York City and Chang'an during the Tang Dynasty share fundamental similarities as both were important trading centers in strategic locations, but were run on very different political lines. Both Chang'an in the Tang Dynasty and modern New York City attracted people from all over the world due to the large quantities of resources traded. One of the largest trade routes during the Tang Dynasty was the Silk Road. The Silk Road was a route from the Pacific coast of China to the Mediterranean Sea, and this road connected the eastern market with the western one (Chang'an). Chang'an was located at the eastern end of the Silk Road. Many exotic goods were traded along this route from Persia and India (City Life in Tang). This trade made the people of Chang'an rich, and trade continued to increase in both the western and eastern markets. Due to increased trade, many more people began to live near the Western Market (Chang'an). The people of Chang'an began to be envied because of their vast wealth. This led to the creation of laws that prohibited people from showing off their wealth. While in New York City, wealth is applauded and envied. Commerce in modern New Y...... middle of card ...... leads to government buildings. Trade and exchange increased because they allowed merchants, travelers, and locals to transport themselves and their goods through Chang'an in an efficient and organized manner. New York's grid system was, and still is, used as an organized and efficient way for anyone to move through the city. Before it was built, the city was growing rapidly and city planners needed to plan for expansion. They decided to build Manhattan in a grid system. This allowed them to plan ahead for the rapidly increasing population. The main idea behind the system was to profit from real estate. The more people moved to the new land, the more trade increased. The net result was that the city grew even faster than planners expected and there were even more profits from real estate than expected (New York Times).