The Chinese Silk Road

THE CHINESE SILK ROAD

By Melanie Hogan

WHAT IT IS The Silk Road is an extensive

interconnected network of trade routes connecting Asia, the Mediterranean, Africa, and Europe, extending 4000 miles.

The Silk Road gets its name from the Chinese Silk Trade.

The Silk Road was really a rough caravan track over land, and water routes were traveled by boat.

MAP OF THE SILK ROADS

HOW IT STARTED The Silk Road came into existence in the

First Century B.C. to connect the Western World and India

A shipping route of the Silk Road also came about probably by the 1st Century as well

CHINA TRADED: SILKS, TEA, SPICES, AND PORCELAIN WERE TRADED ALONG THE ROUTES.

INDIA TRADED: IVORY, PEPPER, PRECIOUS STONES, AND TEXTILES

HISTORICAL FACTS OF THE SILK ROAD During the Han Dynasty, Zhang Qian

opened the Silk Roads for trading The roads were used for about 1600

years until the collapse of the Yuan Dynasty

It was named the Silk Road by Ferdinand von Richthofen in 1877 because silk was the main item of trade

IMPORTANCE OF THE SILK ROAD The Silk Road created trade routes

between countries allowing the barter of goods

Increased the number of foreign merchants in China

Exposed the Chinese to different cultures and religions.

Chinese map of the Silk Trade Routes

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IMAGES ALONG THE SILK ROAD