The Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor of the Silk Road was inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List on June 22, 2014.

Chinese President Xi Jinping proclaimed the Silk Road Spirit of peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit at the first Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing on May 14, 2017.

On June 21, 2019, the International Association for the Study of Silk Road Textiles and the Specialized Committee of Museums Along the Silk Road of the Chinese Museums Association jointly released the Hangzhou Initiative for Spreading and Promoting the Silk Road Spirit, in which they proposed holding the Silk Road Week event around June 22 every year.

During the event, museums and cultural agencies along the Silk Road will hold various activities such as exhibitions, meetings and performances to promote the Silk Road Spirit and celebrate the inscription of the Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor of the Silk Road on UNESCO's World Heritage List.

The event is a permanent international cultural exchange activity aimed at enhancing communication between countries and regions along the Silk Road, promoting China to the rest of the world and contributing to the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

The inaugural Silk Road Week will be held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province this year.