The Silk Road is an important trade route that gradually emerged after Zhang Qian sent missions to the western regions and communicated with the eastern and western cultures.

The Silk Road is an important commercial road gradually emerging after Zhang Qian's voyage to the West, connecting the eastern and western cultures. Zhang Qian made two missions to the Western Regions, which communicated the trade relations between China and West Asia and Europe. China's silk and silk products were transported from Chang 'an to the west, passed through the Hexi Corridor, and now rested in Xinjiang (today's Iranian Plateau and the two river basins), and then rested in Daqin (Rome) in West Asia and Europe, opening up the famous "Silk Road" in history. Historian Sima Qian praised Zhang Qian's mission to the Western Regions as "hollowing out", which means "opening the way".

"Silk Road" refers to the ancient commercial and trade routes that started in ancient China and connected Asia, Africa and Europe. The Silk Road in a narrow sense generally refers to the Silk Road on land. Broadly speaking, it can be divided into land silk road and maritime silk road.

The "Silk Road on Land" is a land trade channel connecting the hinterland of China and all parts of Europe. It was formed in the 2nd century BC to 1 century A.D. and remained in use until16th century. It is the main road of economic, political and cultural exchanges between East and West. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty sent Zhang Qian to the Western Regions, which formed the basic trunk road of the Western Regions. It starts from Chang 'an in the Western Han Dynasty (Luoyang in the Eastern Han Dynasty) in the west and passes through Hexi Corridor to Dunhuang. Starting from Dunhuang, it is divided into two roads: South Road from Dunhuang passes through Loulan, Yutian and shache, passes through Qingji, now Pamir to Da Yue, rests in peace, and reaches Tiaozhi and Daqin in the west; The North Road runs from Dunhuang to Jiaohe, Qiuci and Shule, crosses Qingji to Dawan, rests in the west longitude and reaches Daqin. Its original function was to transport silk produced in ancient China. Therefore, when the German geographer Ferdinand von Richthofen first named it "Silk Road" in 1970s, it was widely accepted.