Zhang Qian

Empires

Han Dynasty China establishes regular trade with Central Asia and Persia, creating the Silk Road. The routes carry silk, spices, paper, and Buddhism eastward…

• ~200 BCE

  Silk Routes connect East and West

  Han Dynasty China establishes regular trade with Central Asia and Persia, creating the Silk Road. The routes carry silk, spices, paper, and Buddhism eastward—and horses, glass, and eventually plague westward. For 1,500 years, the Silk Road is civilization's nervous system.