Silk Road Photo Gallery

The Silk Road refers to trading routes on land through western China, Central Asia,and into Europe, and also by sea from southern China to Europe via India and the Middle East. The term "Silk Road" was first used in the mid-19th century to refer to this trading route. Not only was silk moved across 6000km, but also religion, ideas, and knowledge. To facilitate movement and to protect the merchants from the elements, stopover towns were built all along the route to offer protection and supplies to these ancient traders embarking on an ambitious journey to the East. This photo gallery covers only a small section of the Silk Road through western China.