The Silk Road Before the West Han dynasty, only a little amount of silk from China found its way to places such as Middle Asia and India through the minority people residing in the West and North of the country. It was not unitl the famous visit to the West by Zhangqian that officials and merchants from Han Dynasty began to take a great deal of silk with them to the West by all means. Meanwhile, exotic things such as precious jewelries from the West were coming to China gradually. That route had become an important link linking up China with the West, and was afterwards called the Silk Road. The founding of that way is very important in the history of China.

China frequently exchanged with countries from west, south and mid-Asia on issues such as culture and economy. The art of paper making, iron casting were passed to the West through this road and Buddhism travelled the other way. After the rein of Han Wudi, officials and merchants found a seaway to communicate with countries in South Sea as well as India and Sri Lanka on business matters. The name of Marine Silk Road comes from that. The founding of the Marine Silk Road enhances the relationship between the South-Eastern Asia and South Asia with China, and strengthens the diplomatic ties between the East and the West through water.