這是一片廣袤的土地，位于中國(guó)版圖的西北偏北區(qū)域，被稱為亞洲的樞紐。兩千多年前，西漢的使者張騫，肩負(fù)國(guó)家使命，兩度出使這一地區(qū)，后來(lái)人們沿用司馬遷對(duì)這一區(qū)域的稱謂西域，即我國(guó)西部及其以西的廣大地區(qū)。
秦漢之際，我國(guó)北方游牧民族匈奴強(qiáng)大起來(lái)，控制了西域地區(qū)，對(duì)西域諸民族進(jìn)行殘酷剝削。與此同時(shí)，漢帝國(guó)北面的匈奴游牧政權(quán)時(shí)常南下中原，迫使?jié)h高祖劉邦簽訂了城下之盟。經(jīng)過(guò)漢初的休養(yǎng)生息，到了漢武帝時(shí)期，西漢王朝國(guó)力強(qiáng)盛起來(lái)，開(kāi)始大規(guī)模反擊匈奴，并取得了軍事上的勝利，匈奴在內(nèi)外交困中陷入分裂狀態(tài)。
公元前60年，西漢政府正式在烏壘城（今新疆維吾爾自治區(qū)輪臺(tái)縣東）設(shè)立西域都護(hù)府，對(duì)西域諸國(guó)進(jìn)行行政管轄，自此漢之號(hào)令班西域矣。西域都護(hù)府的設(shè)立，標(biāo)志著新疆正式列入漢朝版圖，成為我國(guó)領(lǐng)土中不可分割的一部分。大唐盛世時(shí)，唐王朝在西域設(shè)立了安西都護(hù)府和北庭都護(hù)府，對(duì)西域的管轄進(jìn)一步加強(qiáng)。
歷史的車輪駐足在光緒十年十月初二，即公元1884 年11 月19 日。這一天，清廷頒布了一道人事任免的諭旨，任命劉錦棠為新疆巡撫，他就此成為新疆歷史上第一位巡撫。也就是在這一天，清政府以故土新歸之意，為這塊被外族入侵十余年的中國(guó)領(lǐng)土起了一個(gè)新名字新疆。
新疆，是絲綢之路上的一個(gè)重要樞紐。而產(chǎn)生于漢代的道教，從長(zhǎng)安出發(fā)，穿越平原黃沙，沿著絲綢古道，伴著陣陣駝鈴聲，一路向西而行……
一 歷史的回眸
1 跨越千年的愛(ài)情 ···························································3
2 橫渡戈壁瀚海的旅程 ························································5
3 乾定西域：清代新疆道教 ···················································13
二 壇廟：心靈的寄托
1 新疆門戶 ··································································20
2 天山腳下 ··································································26
3 伊犁河畔···································································48
4 環(huán)塔之洲 ··································································57
三 道教人物
1 空谷幽蘭：隱者的世界 ···················································64
2 尋常巷陌：城市的生活 ···················································66
3 歷史名人與西域道教 ···················································70
4 民國(guó)舊事札記 ···························································83
四 道韻新疆
1 人生成長(zhǎng)的歷程 ···························································88
2 鄉(xiāng)土文化的寫生 ···························································93
3 模糊的邊界 ···························································98
五 道之未來(lái)
1 影響近代新疆道教發(fā)展的原因探微 ···········································107
2 對(duì)未來(lái)新疆道教發(fā)展的思考 ···········································113
參考文獻(xiàn) ···························································123
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