ABSTRACT
In history, the Silk Road was an important pathway connecting the three ancient civilisation rims in Asia, Europe and Africa, and it consisted of the maritime and overland routes connecting China with the outside world. Archaeological findings indicate that European aristocrats had used silk from China as early as the sixth century BC. Economic and trade exchanges between Europe, Central Asia and China’s Central Plains region had promoted cultural exchanges among these regions. In the Han Dynasty, Zhang Qian led a delegation to the Western Regions twice in 138 BC and 119 BC, and the exchanges on the Silk Road became increasingly extensive. The Chinese culture spread along the Silk Road to the Western Regions, and grape, alfalfa, pomegranate, flax, sesame and other crops in the Western Regions were also introduced to the Central Plains. Frequent people-to-people exchanges between the Central Plains and the Western Regions led to the exchanges of ideas and the spread of beliefs. The prosperity of the Silk Road made positive contributions to the development of the Central Plains and Central Asia.
