丝绸之路

Ancient network of trade routes linking China to Central Asia, Persia, the Mediterranean, and Europe. Opened during the Han dynasty (2nd century BCE) by envoy 张骞 (Zhang Qian). The name 'Silk Road' (Seidenstraße) was coined by German geographer Ferdinand von Richthofen in 1877 — the Chinese term 丝绸之路 is a direct translation of that coinage.

In modern use, often references China's 一带一路 (Belt and Road Initiative), whose full name 丝绸之路经济带 invokes the ancient route. Xi'an was the eastern terminus; Dunhuang, Kashgar, and Samarkand were key waystations.