The Silk Road is the world's oldest and most historically important trade routes and influenced the culture of China, Central Asia and the West greatly.

Threads of commerce connected Xian to the Middle East and Europe as far back as the 2nd century BC. At that time, the Han emperor Wu sent an emissary westward, not for trade but rather to seek allies to defend China against the Huns. From that time up until the 14th century, caravans carrying spices, fruits, and all manner of goods from the West routinely crossed the deserts in search of silk - thus transforming forever China's frontier towns into cosmopolitan trading centers.

In AD 200, this transcontinental route linked the Roman Empire in the west with the imperial court of China. Trade along the route was carried on by foreign traders who belonged to neither of the two old empires.

Before the discovery of the sea route to India, the Silk Road was the most important connection between the East and West. It experienced its last great era during the time of the Mongol Empire. This ancient trade route starts in the old capitals of Luoyang and Xi'an (then called Chang'an), reaches the Yellow River at Lanzhou, then skirts westward along deserts and mountains before dividing into three routes at the oasis of Dunhuang. The great part of the Silk Road threads its way through Xinjiang. Ancient travelers left behind many historical records and invaluable relics.