The Silk Road This name refers to the inland network of trade routes connecting West to East, from the Mediterranean Sea to China. The route wound be through Rome, Greece, the Mediterranean, and Asia Minor, to West and Central Asia. It then split into two routes into China. One went through Sinkiang—referred to as the Hexi Corridor—and the central Shaanxi Plains from the northeast. The other proceeded southeast and northwards through India, Myanmar, and southeast China. Both ended up at Chang’an and Luoyang. By contrast the maritime Silk Road ran from the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean, to India, and passed through the Bay of Bengal, Malaya, and the Straits of Malacca, into the South China Sea. It then went north along the south coast into mainland China. The Silk Road was defined and improved in its use by merchants, soldiers, and governments over the centuries, and became a valuable route along which cultural exchanges between East and West were achieved. Many people consider it was the oldest and most sedate channel for people to conduct regular communication. Indeed, it was during the Han Dynasty (202 BC–AD 220) that ancient China became more fully aware of activities going on in the Western world, which was the catalyst that started eco-nomic, political, and cultural exchanges. This trade route officially came into being when Zhang Qian and Gan Ying were dispatched by China’s Imperial court as special envoys to the western regions and completed their mission very successfully by returning accompanied by businessmen from Central Asia and Western countries, who had made the return journey with them to ensure for themselves that the route was unimpeded and functional. Zhang Qian was the pioneer of the Silk Route who opened up this ancient trade road during the reign of the Han Emperor Wudi. From 139 BC to 119 BC, he went to the Western Regions twice and brought back an immense amount of information about the Central Asia and West Asia. The Silk Route marked the beginning of a new era with an extensive exchange of culture, economy and religion between China and the West ... [later] Gan Ying: in 97 AD, in order to establish trade relations with Rome directly, was dispatched by Ban Chao to Da Qin (the old name of the Roman Empire), which was the farthest westbound travel and exploration. He set out on his journey from Qiuci (now Kuche or Kuqa). It was full of difficulties and dangers all the way. He crossed mountains, traversed desolate deserts and the Gobi, went over plateaus and finally reached the Persian Gulf by way of Tiaozhi (the present Iraq) and the Anxi Empire (Parthia). At that time, Anxi was a key transit station on the Silk Route. The merchants of Anxi monopolized the trade between China and Rome; they made a big profit by selling Chinese silk to Romans at very high prices. Therefore, the Anxi merchants exaggerated the hardships of crossing the sea and persuaded Gan Ying to give up his travel. As a result, Gan Ying followed their advice and returned to China. Although Gan Ying failed to finish his mission, he brought more detailed and reliable information about Central Asia. Once proven viable, the Han government set up post-houses to protect and receive merchants passing by, and provided board and lodging for their convenience. By this road, new breeds of plants, such as grape and sesame, handcrafts, musical instruments, and Buddhist scriptures from India were brought into China from the west. There were additional commodities and technologies exported from China to countries in Central Asia and the West, during this period, such as ironware, lacquerware, spice, paper, cloth, and especially silk products. The heyday for trade along the original Silk Road was between the end of the third century BC and the early third century AD. Unfortunately, after that China fell into wars and divisions in the third century, and the Roman Empire decayed, so trade was suspended and the road has essentially been deserted ever since. In this respect it is now historically exciting to note that the Chinese Central Government is making great strides to reopen it. Once completed, it will unquestionably be of great economic and social benefit to all the countries associated with it. It should be extremely beneficial from a trade perspective, presumably with new high-speed highways allowing intercountry trade to flourish once more, on a scale never before dreamed of.