Chapter Two
The Opening of the Silk Road

The term “the Silk Road” was first coined by the German geologist Ferdinand Freiherr von Richthofen（1833-1905）. It refers to the ancient trade network that extended from China to as far as Europe, and Chinese silk was the most conspicuous and lucrative trading good for the traders involved in this network, resulting in the name the Silk Road. The opening of the Silk Road could be traced back to the Han Dynasty with explorer Zhang Qian（张骞, c.164 B.C.—114 B.C.）in the 2nd century B.C. However, when Zhang ventured from Chang’an to central Asia, he had no imagination of trade in his mind. Instead, he hoped to find the legendary tribe Yuezhi（月氏）to make a military alliance against the Xiongnu, which was a threat to the Han Dynasty.