The Great Silk Road, China

One of the many legendary trade routes in the world, the Great Silk Road in China features in the top of the list. Coveted by the West, and found and manufactured in the east, the Great Silk Road in China was devise of mankind to satiate this demand. The Great Silk Road in China also stands as a testimony of the commerce in the ancient world. The Great Silk Road in China is an 8,000 Km long route over land and sea, stretching across countries and continents, all the way from China to the Mediterranean. In fact the Great Silk Road is a huge factor that shaped the history of all the nations through which it passed.

The name of the Great Silk Road in China was coined by a German Geography expert named Ferdinand Von Richthofen from the german word "Seidenstraße" which translates as 'Silk Route'. The Great Silk Road in China begins from Xi'an in the Shaanxi Province in China. Traversed by caravan for a span of 2,000 years, the consignments mostly included silk; from which the road got its name. However, silk was not the only commodity to take to the Great Silk Road in China. Some of the other goods include gold, artifacts, Jade, glass, antiques, tea and spices as well. Apart from filling in the silk and spice deficiency in the West, the Great Silk Road in China also contributed in a big way to the export and assimilation of culture, religion and philosophies of China and those of the countries that fell in the path. The trade route began in the era of the Han Dynasty.